BIO

Joan Brace O’Neal studied fine arts and psychology at the University of South Florida and the University of Florida. She received her Masters degree from Vermont College of Norwich University. She is currently a practicing psychotherapist and a visual artist living in Vermont.

STATEMENT

Alone with a pencil in my hand has always been my refuge, transporting me into a world of quiet wonder. Watching a blank piece of paper come alive is magical to me.

I often use light in my work as a way to enhance emotion...similar to the way a painter may use color. When I look at paintings, it is the emotional charge created through the use of contrasting colors that excites me. I am always attempting to create that same charge through the contrast of blacks and whites. The use of light helps me to achieve this.