joanportereinsman.com
American
Lives and Works in Minneapolis, Minnesota

In graduate school I pursued universal symbols and meanings of crisis-opportunity. I have continued to build on these ideas. Keywords describing my art are colorful, soul-searching, survival, gratitude, individuals, visualized emotions, and symbolic universal metaphors. Each drawing or painting has a story behind it.

Life-long learning and academics are of major importance to me. There is gratifying excitement in creating and transforming paper, canvas, or other surfaces into a one-of-a-kind work of art. I work in various media such as oil, acrylic, watercolor, ink, and mixed media. I paint with both hands as I work. I allow the art to take over. Sometimes my art has been described as Jungian. Carl Jung was a psychologist who believed that the soul was involved in creating. One of my favorite sayings by an unidentified person is as follows: "A craftsman works with his hands. An artisan works with his hands and his heart. An artist works with his hands, and his heart, and his soul."

My paintings and drawings are visual metaphors for personal experiences and synchronistic events. My visual language has developed from multiple influences: universal symbols – ancient to contemporary, historical and philosophical references, to psychology relationships from person to place. My art questions these connections with a strong emphasis on saturated color, line, shape, pattern and texture.

Education
1987 - MFA Studio Arts – Painting, Drawing: University of Minnesota
1983 - BFA Studio Arts – Painting, Drawing: University of Minnesota
1959 - BS Art Education – Speech-Communication Minor: University of Minnesota