Joan Brown

I first came upon the art of Joan Brown in the early 90's. I had been taking painting seriously for a few years, and I was always on the lookout for artists who would inspire me. Joan's work startled me! How so, you may ask? It was the directness of her work. Her images showed up on her canvases with the same boldness that I saw in my images in my head. But I was still afraid to let mine out. My learned perception of art didn't find that kind of boldness acceptable. Her canvases were large, which thrilled me. I wanted to paint BIG, BIGGER, BIGGEST, and I still have that desire. Like Frida Kahlo, Joan painted many self portraits. I wonder what she was trying to tell the world about herself?
JOAN BROWN (1938-1990)