The American artist Joyce Polance grew up in New York City, and after studying at the Wesleyan University in  Middletown, Connecticut, received her Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree from the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York in 1988.

She writes of her work, ‘In our current political climate of amplified voices and vehement certainties of belief, I explore what happens when things aren’t so definite. My paintings blur the definitions of figures and landscapes. Trees and mountains scream, dissolving into creatures, churning with inner turmoil. Figures branch into abstracted scenery and spaces. I begin a painting with a specific reference, but once the image is initially laid in I cease looking at it. Instead, I engage in dialogue with the painting, letting it lead me to unknown places. I throw myself into the work with abandon, covering up or breaking apart surfaces I have just created. In becoming willing to destroy my work, I allow for something entirely new to emerge. My use of thick impasto paint, gouges, intense colour, and expressive brushwork all contribute to obscuring the specific features of my subject while revealing previously hidden emotional qualities. For me, it is in these emotions where the truth lies.’

Joyce Polance’s paintings are regularly shown in exhibitions, including in recent years solo exhibitions in New York, Woodstock and Macomb in Illinois, and Dubuque in Iowa. She is currently based in Catskill, upstate New York.

Joyce’s website is here, where you can see a wide range of her work, and her Facebook page is here.

We would like to thank our Russian friend Yuri for suggesting the inclusion of this artist.