Follow your art
Polson watercolorist loves to paint, travel, bead, sing
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POLSON — Teaching a color theory class at the Sandpiper Gallery, Joanne Simpson has her students busy completing a color wheel exercise. Not only is Simpson a talented teacher, but she’s also a talented watercolorist.
Simpson started painting in 1981 after instruction from Rene Newman in Missoula.
“I took a series of classes, and then I just took off,” Simpson said with a smile.
She started painting flowers, nothing but flowers, and wildflowers were her favorite, she said, painted into vignettes. Simpson was a charter member of the Montana Watercolor Society, and she won a merchandise award in the first juried show the MWS held.
She uses only transparent watercolor and has tried different techniques throughout her career. One of her favorites is batik on rice paper. Rice paper will not hold an edge, Simpson said, so in order to get a line she uses hot wax in the traditional way, working from light colors to dark colors, one color at a time. Simpson ends up with a wax-covered piece of rice paper. She makes an envelope of blank newsprint, inserts the rice paper and then covers the whole envelope with the Wall Street Journal.
“It’s very absorbent,” she said, grinning.
Then Simpson irons the entire packet three or four times until all the wax comes off. Voila, a painting ready to frame.
In order to challenge herself, Simpson recently completed a series of rodeo paintings. She and a friend attended the Helmville rodeo and took photographs for inspiration.
“Painting has taught me to see things, not only nature but man-made things,” she mused.
To refresh and energize herself, she said, “I take a workshop from a major watercolor artist every couple of years.”
She’s studied under accomplished artists such as Steven Quiller and Don Andrews.
Simpson said reading Quiller’s book on color theory, changed her watercolor career. She learns something from each class she attends as well as each class she teaches. In addition to color theory, Simpson teaches Watercolor for the Terrified and Watercolor Tricks.
“Art is a process of continuous improvement,” she explained.
Simpson loves to travel, too. A frequent visitor to Europe, she also visits her grandchildren in Hawaii. She always takes along her travel journal; and when she gets an hour or two, she’ll go sit somewhere and paint.
“That’s my souvenir,” she noted.
“I always have things I want to paint,” Simpson said. “I think I’ll keep on painting animals.”
She also likes to paint old cars, old houses and old barns.
She painted an old barn during the plein air challenge at the Sandpiper Gallery from June 14 to 17 and earned a “Merchant Award” for her efforts. The rules for the challenge were that the artist had to paint outside, the site had to be on the reservation, no cameras were allowed, just eyes and pallets, and the painting needed to be completed in four days.
Rainy weather was a challenge, she said, especially for a watercolorist. Painting outside is unpredictable, and she prefers her studio.
Born Joanne Manello in Laurel, Simpson attended the University of Montana and graduated with a degree in Spanish, French and music. She also met her husband Jim at the U of M. They married and have three children and five grandchildren.
As well as being an accomplished painter, Simpson is also a singer. She has sung opera, several productions of scenes from operas and then had full opera roles. She was the mother in “Amahl and the Night Visitors” and the Abbess in “Soir Angelica.”
Most recently, Simpson sang in the chorus of “Oklahoma,” produced by the Port Polson Players and hopes to perform in “Sweeney Todd” in the fall. Simpson continues to paint and teach others as well as make beautiful beaded jewelry. Her paintings are on display and for sale at the Red Poppy Gallery in Ronan and the Sandpiper Gallery in Polson.
She also welcomes people to visit her studio at 51963 U.S. Highway 93.
