Joan was born in Sexsmith, Alberta, and then moved to Victoria, BC, at an early age. She has studied at the Banff Centre, the University of Victoria, and the prestigious Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California.
Joan’s career experiences have included graphic design, illustration, and managing her own gallery. Her diverse education and life experiences have given her a practical understanding of the business aspects of the art world, as well as a technical proficiency with a variety of art mediums.
Joan’s passion is equine artwork, often drawing upon her background of landscape and figurative painting to create a unique style of her own. Her preferred medium is pastels due to the exceptional colour effects that can be achieved when working with sticks of pure pigment. Her subjects have been described as “sensitive portrayals, so life like that the personalities shine through.” Often using unusual angles of observation and varying light sources, she is able to capture the more subtle aspects of the human/animal relationship.
Joan’s work has won awards and been featured in several publications. Her landscapes, life portraits and equine series of paintings hang in galleries worldwide including China, England, the US, and across Canada. Joan’s work has been showcased for over 20 years at the Spruce Meadows “Masters” Equi-Fair in Calgary, Alberta, and many times at the American Academy of Equine Artists juried shows in Lexington, Kentucky. She is a member of the Pastel Society of Canada, the Equine Art Guild and the Federation of Canadian Artists. Her work can be found in numerous private and public collections.
Accomplishments & Exhibitions
For a preview of Joan’s other works, visit her website at www.joanlarson.com
Musical Ride Prints