A native of Mobile, Alabama, Joy Gardner has pursued her interest in art since childhood. Joy graduated from the University of the South, Sewanee, Tennessee where she studied painting, drawing, and sculpture, while earning a B.A. degree in French. Since graduating from college, she has continued her study of art, participating in classes and workshops with Bea Tucker, Jenny Nelson, and Wolf Kahn, among others.
Joy has participated in solo and group shows throughout the southeast. Her work is shown at Sophiella Gallery, Mobile, AL and can be seen in her studio by appointment. Her paintings are included in both private and corporate collections in the United States and abroad.
In the studio, I respond to my observation of and exposure to the natural world around me. Whether landscape, a garden or flowers, or even an indoor space, I am reacting to what I see, hear, smell and remember, being greatly influenced by the changing seasons. I am especially fond of the luminous quality of oil paints, although I also enjoy working in watercolor and mixed media. I am interested in experimenting with colors and particularly the relationship of one color to another in my work. I create paintings by applying many layers of paint to canvas, board or paper, combining thin washes and thicker layers of paint, often adding line work as well. Whether my finished work is recognizable and familiar or merely an abstract painting, I desire to create a piece which will draw the viewer in and entice the senses, leaving the viewer with a feeling of connection.