After seven years in business, Joan Pinney closed her art gallery to concentrate on her painting. The toughest part for her afterward was missing the people.
“I have to see people or I go nuts,” Pinney said.
She’ll get a chance to see lots of people this weekend as one of the featured artists during the Fresh Paint festival on Everett’s waterfront.
A first-time Fresh Paint participant, Pinney is looking forward to the instant feedback the waterfront walkers will provide. And the crowds? No problem. Pinney teaches watercolor workshops once a month for Arts of Snohomish Gallery in Snohomish, so dealing with large groups of people is more inspiration than intimidation for her.
“It’s such an opportunity to find out if what you are doing is something people like,” Pinney said. “I like to see what draws them in.”
Pinney, a longtime painter and member of the Northwest Watercolor Society, says she experiments a lot in her work and doesn’t let failures deter her. “I’ll paint in a series and if I get something that’s working, I’ll keep doing it. I may do 10 paintings.”
The challenge for Pinney is capturing the beauty of a moment.
“I want people to have that sense of wonder when they see something I’ve done,” she said. “And maybe they reflect back to things in their past that they’ve seen. So then I’ve touched their memory.”
Home: Maltby area. Born in Everett, married and moved to Maltby area in 1973.
Age: 62
Occupation: Artist, teacher
Hobby: I love gardening. I do sew and I’m teaching my grandchildren to sew.
First book read: Doesn’t remember that but is inspired by the Splash book series edited by Rachel Ruben Wolf of acrylic paintings styles and techniques. “It gives me insight into what the artists were thinking and it’s really inspirational.”
Latest accomplishment: Succeeded in capturing the color and light at the North Head Lighthouse. “These grasses were just so fantastic and they were flowing with all the effect of the winds and it was toward evening and such a nice light on it, and I thought, ‘How in the world was I going to do that?’”
Why do you do what you do: “I think it’s kind of like a calling.”
Quote: “I try to capture that moment. To have that inspiration go through me and off onto the paper.”
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