art treatise
accentuating the light
Joanne Geisel paints light as value and as a condition of the spirit by Kathryn Manis
J
OANNE GEISEL
has always
enjoyed making
art, but wasn’t
always sure
she would be a
painter. “First I
went to Pratt Institute as a fash-ion
major, and quickly decided
that was not for me.” Geisel
later attended New York State
University and earned a degree
in art education. The program’s
curriculum required plenty of
studio courses and helped her
hone an innate talent.
Now based in Leland, Geisel
teaches aspiring painters
alongside her own fulltime art
practice.
Geisel says her students often
inspire, motivate and surprise
her, whether they are brand new
to art or are seasoned pros look-ing
to master a new technique.
“I find that I am so happy to
introduce people to painting or
to help them improve,” Geisel
says. “I think it’s part of what
we are as humans; I think we all
need to create or be creative in
some way. If I can teach people
painting, or open that up for
them, I feel like I’ve succeeded.
Even if they don’t paint again
after the course, I’m hoping that
they will appreciate art in a dif-ferent
way than they did when
they started.”
MASTERY OF LIGHT
An essential component of Geisel’s painting practice is her mastery of light. Capturing subtle
nuances in light requires a sophisticated understanding of value and its role in the overall design
of a painting. Value refers to the lightness or darkness of a color or hue and is a more complex way
of understanding it than through shade or complements alone. Geisel says that this is another area
where her teaching career has contributed to her studio practice.
“Teaching makes you focus on the structure of your paintings,” she explains. “What I try to teach
my students is how to look at their values and how to come up with strong armature based on
those. And to think about all the structures of the composition before they continue. Most artists
want to focus on the color and jump in and deal with the design later. But teaching has forced me
to think about that part first.”
Geisel’s focus on value in design is particularly evident in her still life paintings, which often
depict ceramics with pieces of fruit or vibrant floral arrangements. Paintings like “Sweet and Sour”
and “Rosy Reflections” feature dark backgrounds with multiple values of black, white and gray
that are contrasted by the equally complex colors that make up the ceramic pieces and other
accoutrements.
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WBM february 2019
Sweet and Sour, 11 x 14 inches, oil on canvas.