Joan McMurray, NCA MVP

As you can see I paint what catches my eye, something unusual.

I started painting with oils.  They are my first love.  You can do so much with oils, paint it on thin, thick, layer it, scrape it off.   I have been painting with pastels and took classes with the well-known artist, Margot Schulzke.   The colors are so rich and vibrant.

Painting with silk dyes are more challenging than oils or pastels as the dyes will run until they meet a resist.  To learn more about this medium I have taken classes at Mendocino Art Center with some well-known fabric artists. Dorte Christianson, Doshi, Susan Moyer, Suzanne Punch, Natasha Foucault, Egon Klemente, Joy Lily, Beverly Hicks.  I have entered competitions at our Sacramento County Fair and State Fair CalExpo in the Creative Arts Section, winning awards.

I have been silk painting for a number of years.  Classes at the Mendocino Art Center has increased my knowledge and skills in various techniques for painting on silk.  A variety of Salt techniques are used to create both scarves and wall hangings.  These skills have been applied to wearable art and paintings of landscapes and still life.  Recently I have discovered Shibori, the Japanese art of folding, pleating, tying, and dyeing.   The designs that result from this procedure astound me.

I have won awards at the Sacramento County Fair and the State Fair CalExpo in the Creative Arts Section.    Silk scarves are on display at the Sacramento Fine Arts Center Boutique.  I also participate in several craft fairs in the Sacramento Area.

I am a member of Northern California Arts, Inc. the Sacramento Fine Arts Center in Carmichael where I have worked on many exhibitions, organizing and setting up exhibitions and assisting in the children’s art program.