"I love to paint everything beautiful under the sun, and my luminous paintings are a reflection of my spirit and positive approach to life" - Joyce Norwood
Born in the mountains of North Carolina Joyce Norwood grew up in a large family. One of ten girls, Joyce grew up surrounded by light and movement, and creativity. She began studying painting at the Art Students League in New York under the tutelage of Robert Brackman and William Draper. It was during this time that Joyce began to hone her eye for light and movement developing her curiosity for the ways color reflects light and focusing on how to capture these phenomena. Her instructors in New York encouraged her to continue her studies, which she did at the Cape Cod School of Art in Provincetown Massachusetts.
"Little Girl" (48x48)
Always inspired by the Impressionist movement Joyce began experimenting with texture and the three-dimensionality that painting could offer, embracing the use of a palette knife to create texture and build surface. Joyce's preferred subjects are figures, often young women and girls which she paints with an eye for grace and movement. The coast is a source of endless inspiration, and her pieces often feature figures near the sea - the juxtaposition of the human figure and the light reflected in the water is something that is of endless fascination to her. She is known for her portraiture which is executed in her distinctive style; part impressionist, part realist, always with a focus on light and the gesture of her subject.
"My Joy" 30x30
Joyce's work is guided by her love for the world and her deep-seated faith which helps her see the beauty of all creation. Her work is driven by the guiding prinicple of faith as well as an innate curiosity and interest in the aesthetic quality of the natural world. She writes that "...the human eye naturally responds to truth" and that it is this truth, this innate sense of someone or something, that she seeks to capture. She uses harmonious color and the interest of texture to draw the eye and to allow the viewer to slip into the world of the painting.
"Morning Light" 60x40
Joyce has recieved many accolades for her work and is a nationally acclaimed portaitist. She has been featured at the Baker Museum and the Cape Museum of Art. She lives in Naples Florida where she is endlessly inspired by the beautiful beaches and peaceful sunsets of Florida's east coat.