Capturing Joy - the Art of Joan Morgan

If a work of art reflects the soul of it's creator, then artist Joan Morgan's is filled with light and beauty. Gazing upon one of her watercolors is like pausing to rest beneath the shade of a towering oak on a hot summer's day. One does not think about, or truly see, the hundreds of leaves that form the intricate canopy overhead that gives solace from the heat of the midday sun. Instead, it is the overall effect of that edifice that one remembers; the coolness, the shadows, the feelings of comfort all merged into one memory. That is the same mood Joan creates in her paintings – a sense of joy, a touch of wonder, and snippets of memories all rolled into one beautiful image.

The intricate scrollwork of a wrought iron chair nestled amid scarlet blooms, begs one to come and sit awhile in silent contemplation.

Hydrangeas spilling from an old enamel coffeepot evoke memories of spring days on Grandma's porch sipping lemonade.

Scarlet blossoms swaying in tall grasses engulf
a bent willow bench, softly inviting one
to stretch out and dream.

Joan can remember being interested in art from the impressionable age of six. More self-taught than not, she attended the Atlanta College of Art, and also studied with Claude Croney. She tried her hand at oils and acrylics in the early 70's, before discovering the unique properties of watercolors. The fresh, clean look of that medium caught her eye first, but it was the challenge of working with watercolor that has kept her intrigued. Her work is influenced by the beauty of the natural world around her. She paints what inspires her, what imparts feelings of joy.

A frequent visitor to Cedar Key, Joan always said to herself "someday I'll be here". Eight years ago all the elements needed to make that dream a realty came together, and she opened her studio here in a quaint cracker cottage on First Street.

If you would like to see more of Joan's work, drop by her studio. You can also take a chance on winning a very special painting created by Joan for the Cedar Key Library. The painting is being raffled, with the proceeds going to the library building fund. The painting is of Cedar Key's infamous egret "Spike".

"Spike"