J.Oanne Hall wanted to be an artist for as long as she could remember. But “after graduation, life was busy and the arts took a back seat,” she said. “Life has the opportunity to bring other things to the fore for months and sometimes years.”
Hall began her college year with an arts class at Weber State University, followed by two years in the illustration program at Utah State University, but graduated with an outside art degree in family and consumer sciences with a certificate of teaching in secondary education.
Twenty years passed without art before she enrolled in a watercolor course, which became the catalyst for her return to the art world.
“It has now been more than 20 years since I rediscovered art and the joy it brings to life,” said Hall. During this time, she read stacks of textbooks, enrolled in every class and workshop she might be able to attend, and connected with other artists.
Another catalyst came in 2019 and this time led her towards art as a career – it was a hard hat tour of The Monarch where she now paints and teaches art classes and workshops in her studio. “I knew I wanted to be there as soon as I walked the site,” she said. And she set up her studio as quickly as possible. “Even though COVID hit just a few months later and disrupted everything, I never looked back.”
While watercolor is her medium of choice, Hall enjoys it all. “Flowing watercolors, exploring values with graphite or charcoal, layering and mixing pastels, digital design, or many other creative options … all of these bring depth, excitement, sanity, and joy to my life.”
Hall’s style and theme range from still life to landscape to portrait, but for her it’s not about the subject. Instead, she finds inspiration in the conditions that affect the subjects.
“I’m drawn to shapes of light and shadow, atmosphere, texture, and so on,” Hall said. “The conditions are primary; The subject is secondary. With a lot of light and shadow, any motif can be interesting and inspiring to paint. “
According to Hall, the relationship between the medium and the artist is unique in watercolor. “It’s a balance between taking control of the pigment and giving up control of the color,” she said. “When the watercolor can flow freely on the paper, amazing blends, textures and edges are created naturally.”
In Hall’s home studio there is a relic of her earliest art memory, a fingerprint that she painted in kindergarten and that her mother kept. She says she can still remember how the paint felt on her fingers as she dragged the paint across the paper. “I was totally immersed in the experience.”
Just as her art journey was slowly developing – from childhood to college and the demands of adulthood to shows, awards, assignments, years of teaching, “fighting with delay and a renewed commitment to focus and graduation” – she describes her style at the moment as evolving.
“Last year there was a log of change and time to reflect. I feel inspired to explore new techniques and methods, ”said Hall. “Who knows where this will lead?”
Hall has several courses for teenagers to adults in May and workshops throughout the summer. For more information on courses, contact The Monarch Studio 30 or [email protected].
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