Joan Hansen

Whether using watercolor, oil, or acrylic, Joan Hansen paints with passion and an eye for color. The award-winning vibrant paintings of landscapes, water scenes, wildlife, florals and wine themes express her love of color and nature. Hansen moved from Superior, Wisconsin to Bonita, California, a suburb of San Diego, in 1979. She received an Associate of Arts Degree, with Honors, from Southwestern College, and began exhibiting her work in 1989.

Hansen is the author and illustrator of two art instruction books, Floral Scenes, and Flowers, and a DVD entitled Getting Started in Watercolor, all published by Walter Foster Publishing, Inc. She is a contributing artist in the book Painting Landscapes in Watercolor, Acrylic Painting, and Watercolor, published by Walter Foster Publishing, Inc.; and Painting Great Pictures from Photographs, published by Quarto Publishing. Splash III, and Splash IV, published by North Light Books, included her work in their books which review the work of America's best contemporary watercolorists. Hansen's work has also been featured in a number of magazines, including Décor, Watercolor '94, ZooNews, North Light, Decorating & Style, and Dick Blick. Several publishing companies have licensed Hansen's work for fine art prints, greeting cards, watercolor and acrylic painting kits, a calendar, art wear, and puzzles. Hansen's work was selected as a finalist for The Directory of Illustration and Design's 2000 competition, and she was invited to participate in RSVP's 2001 exhibition at The Society of Illustrators' Main Gallery in New York City.

Awards include Best of Show, San Diego County Fair, for Hansen's web site design of www.joanhansenart.com; a cash award from the National Arts Program, sponsored by the Leonard W. E. Andrews Foundation of Philadelphia, for the painting Calla Lilies and Lilacs; a cash award from the Del Mar Fair's Fine Art Exhibition, the Del Mar Award, for the painting Luminous Surf; and the San Diego Zoological Society's Zoonooz Award for Best Interpretation of the Theme for her painting Celebrate the Colors of the Wild.

Working as an art consultant to elementary schools, Hansen teaches students drawing and painting classes. In addition, her workshop students include art guild members, high school, junior college, and adult students throughout southern California. Hansen is a juror of art shows, and gives painting demonstrations for art product manufactures in art stores in San Diego.

Hansen has had twelve one-person shows and continues to participate in juried art shows. The San Diego Zoo and Wild Animal Park carry many of Hansen's wildlife posters, and have had their logo included on numerous Hansen images. Her paintings have been in exhibits at the San Diego Natural History Museum, and the San Diego Museum of Art. Her work is collected by individuals and corporations throughout the world.

"As artists, we have the opportunity to express our unique thoughts and passions through the medium of our choice. Interwoven through my work are threads of organic line and luminous color. The organic line symbolizes my love of nature, and the luminous color expresses my continuing passion for the vibrancy of life. It intrigues me to capture and paint the illusive choreography in Nature's eternal dance of light and shadow."