“Tulip” original watercolor by JoAnn Pari-Mueller
“Canna and Butterfly” by JoAnn Pari-Mueller
Pacific NW artist specializing in watercolor, pastels, and calligraphy
Artist Statement & Bio
“I have always lived in the countryside and always been a collector. I was raised in farmland Wisconsin and moved to farmland Oregon in my mid-twenties, continuously amassing interesting objects of nature and hand-made textiles and crafts from around the world.
I use watercolors, pastels, marbling, collage, and/or calligraphy to put down on paper the observations I make about the colors, lines, shapes, and patterns of these natural and handcrafted items. It is my goal to have others take away some of the awe I feel when studying their intricacies.
Often fine details catch my eye; other times I’m interested in the relationship between objects – the “collector mentality.” I like the starkness of a subject against a white background, but may also intersperse geometric lines or shapes with the mostly curvilinear subjects. Often I use richly colored or detailed borders or backgrounds – influences of the many patterns and colors in my collections. I always use 100% rag paper and high-quality pigments, so care should always be taken to protect these materials from light with archival framing.
After 15 years as an art museum tour guide, in 2009 I began immersing myself in art classes at area art schools and colleges. I am an active member of the Oregon Society of Artists, the Watercolor Society of Oregon, and the Portland Society for Calligraphy and have participated in numerous exhibits throughout the state and my county’s October Open Art Studio.”