JoAnne Houlsen

Artist's Bio

I have lived in and painted the Maine landscape for many years and know there isn’t any place else in the world I would rather live and create art. The quality of light on our coast is perfect for capturing the luminescence that transforms an ordinary image into a work of art. Our rich coastal history and our agricultural communities have inspired generations of artists and continue to do so even today.

For me, painting is a sensual experience not just limited to sight. Whether I am walking along taking photographs for my paintings or plein air painting on a summer day, I become fully immersed in what is happening around me. The sound of the wind rustling the leaves, the noise of a dragonfly as it buzzes around my head feasting on a meal of black flies, the intense blue of the sky with pine trees breaking across the horizon and clouds being swept into different shapes by the wind -- all of this is what I hope to capture in my paintings. To me this is the essence of my work.

I live in a small rural town about 30 miles north of Bangor with my husband Michael. It is here that we raised our two children, and now enjoy spending time with our grandchildren.

A desire to get away from the hectic city life of Boston, Massachusetts, where I grew up, motivated me to move to Maine. I attended the University of Maine at Orono and earned a B.A. in Studio Art and a B.S. in Education and I now paint full-time in my studio at 9 Central Street in Bangor.

Contact: joannechoulsen@hotmail.com

Website: www.joannehoulsen-oilpaintings.com