Joyce Gehl was born in San Diego, California in 1958. She currently lives and works on an island in the Salish Sea off the coast of America. Joyce holds a Bachelor of Arts in Art History and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Illustration. She has been exhibiting in galleries within the United States for over 15 years, and her work can be seen in private and public collections internationally.
How did you get into art?
I have always been an artist. My mother was an artist, and both my parents supported my pursuit of a career in the arts.
How would you describe your style? What makes your work special?
Photo-impressionism married with abstract painting and resin. The brushstrokes appear frozen in space. My mixed media paintings have anywhere between 5-10 layers of resin…and floating within each layer is paint.
How do you go about developing your work?
Every day, I photograph, journal, and record my environment. Once I enter the studio, I add layers upon layers of digital painting to create dreamscapes that reflect what I see, hear and imagine.
The digital image is then printed with archival inks on photographic paper, and begin another layering process, this time with resin and paint. Poured liquid over the surface, each resin layer is carefully controlled to encase the photographic base.
In-between the cured resin surfaces, I apply paint with a highly intuitive and gestural process. I use palette knives, brushes and repurposed tools, to drive my mark making and give added depth.
Who or what influences you?
Nature. I live and work on Orcas Island in the Salish Sea, in forests filled with cedar, fir and alder, surrounded by water as far as I can see. In my world, nature whispers her wisdom to my soul. I capture her stories and reveal them through visual expression.
Make us curious. What are you planning to do next?
I’m messing around with paint, building thicker texture, breaking through the surface of the resin. I’m also exploring resin molds, to add a sculptural quality to the surface of the painting.
Joyce Gehl Portrait by Jean Kercheval Photography
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