Joan Austin

I was born in Somerville, New Jersey and reside in Glen Rock, Pennsylvania. Since graduating from York Academy of Art I've worked in production silk-screening, been an illustrator for York County Board of Parks, and produced and sold jewelry and inlaid color porcelain pottery, all the while painting in various mediums and participating in group shows.

In my independent exploration since then, I have found encaustic to be highly adaptable.  The finished work appears to be two-dimensional, while it is actually sculptural in its construction.    I'm enjoying the sculptural aspects of the wax and continue to explore this avenue, dividing my time between the two and tree-dimensional pieces. Photography is incorporated in my most resent work.

My focus is to create a visual energy within my work.  My surroundings excite me.  My world is composed of movement, light, feelings and thoughts.  This excitement manifests itself in my work through the oozing  of wax or the calm of the translucent flat surface.  Even a still moment hums with energy.

Education:

• York Academy of Arts, Graduated with Fine Arts Major in 1976

Exhibitions: 

• KeystoneArts and Culture Center, Lancaster, Pennsylvania, “Nurture, Culture, Nature” a three person exhibition, May 24^th -July 14^th  2013
• Spring Forward Fashion Meets Art, Market View Arts Gallery Hall, March 1, 2013
• Marietta Art House, The Art of Encaustic, Marietta, PA,  May-June, 2012
• City Art Gallery, Seven Stars Rising, Philadelphia St., York, PA,  July 2012
• Simplicity Gallery, Lancaster, PA. January-May 2012
• GAS Gallery & Studio,  Maplewood, NJ, Encaustic Group Exhibit, Nov.-Dec. 2010                                   .
• Five Friends at Just Brenda’s Gallery, Beaver St. York, PA, May, 2010
• The Watchung Arts Center, 18 Stirling Road, Watchung, New Jersey, Encaustic Wax, An Ancient Medium Rediscovered, (Juried) September 2009
• Arthur Hufnagel Public Library, Glen Rock PA. Solo exhibition,  April 2007
• Sixth International Biennial Exhibition, Juror - Joan Snyder The Gallery at R&F & Watermark/Cargo Gallery, Kingston, New York,  August - September 2007 Ball State University’s Atrium Gallery, Muncie, Indiana,  October - December 2007
• The Unitarian Universalist of York, PA. June 2006

            Pennsylvania Arts Experience:

• Small Works,  Marketveiw Arts,  37 West Philadelphia  St, York, PA, Nov.-Dec. 2012
• Preservation and the Arts, John C. Schmidt House, 900 S. George St. York, PA,  Oct. 12-14^th 2012
• Lower Susquehanna River Valley Trail Artists, Group Exhibition at York Art Association, June-July 2012

             Studio Gallery 234, York, Pennsylvania:

• Annual Holiday Group Exhibition 2011
• Artists’ Choice Group Exhibition, July-September  2011
• Annual Holiday Group Exhibition, November-January 2009
• Spring Group Exhibition, March-May 2009
• Annual Holiday Group Exhibition, November-January 2008

             York Arts Association, York, Pennsylvania:

• Inspired by the Masters 2011
• 40^th Annual open juried exhibit, Oct. 2010, Juror – Laura Drogoul
• Rottler Award for Excellence in the Visual Arts Selection exhibition, June 2008, Jurors-Richard P. Russell
• Colony Paper Inc Art Exhibition, May 2008
• 102^nd Annual Spring Member Exhibition: April 2008, Juror - Fredrick Schuler Briggs
• It’s Out There, February 2008, Juror - Carole Pickle
• 37^th Annual open juried exhibit, Oct 2007

             York Arts, York Pennsylvania:

• Member Exhibition, December 2011
• Biological Aesthetics, (juried) September 2011
• YorkFest Fine Arts Festival Juried Art and Literary Competition, 2005-2007-2008-2010
• Hot for Wax, (juried) October-November 2009

Teaching:

• Encaustic demonstration, November 6^th  / Encaustic class, November 13^th 2009

 Awards:

• The Richard & Selena Disher Merit Award in Oil for “Martini”, 2007
• The 40^th Annual Open Juried Exhibit, Award of Excellence for “Tree Line”, 2010