Joan Bredendick

Award-Winning Watercolor & Colored Pencil Artist

“Every line must be beautiful. Every painting or drawing tells a story. I provide the clues and the viewer adds their own interpretation to the narrative.”

Relying on the transparent nature of the watercolor, using multi-layered glazes of paint, achieves rich color saturation and deep value contrast. Sometimes I incise into the paper to create visual interest and texture. Strong compositional design moves the viewer’s eye through the work keeping them actively engaged.

Thematically, my gentle, sometimes quizzically expressive female figures combine with animals showing women as protectors of life.  I use exaggeration to present that some force is waiting to disrupt the peace. Look for the unexpected, surprise element; an excessively long tail, a menacing claw. So often we assume we know what we are seeing in art…  in life… but is what we think we see, what is really going on?

Enjoyment of the possibilities for dynamic, visual movement are created by painting Koi fish. I use a vertical format to enhance a different and satisfying interpretation distinguishing my painting from other Koi themed work.

I have always loved cats. Many have walked in and out of my life. My intent is to create visually textural works with a degree of abstraction and repetitive designs, thus uniting the background with the cat, not obstructing the importance of the cat. Expressing the nature of cats goes beyond how a cat looks. You know what I mean if you have ever been owned by a cat!

Materials and Framing

The drawings are worked with Prismacolors, Faber Castell and or Carnan D’Ache Luminance colored pencils on Bristol Board acid free paper.

The paintings are created with Winsor Newton and Holbein professional grade, permanent watercolor paint on stretched, 140 lb. Arches cold press paper.

All matting materials are archival quality.

All of the art in Joan’s Blue Moon Collection is available for purchase.

Send inquiries kendra@thebluemoongallery.com or text 224-388-7948.