This holiday season, we’re excited to introduce Pomegranate, a publishing and printing company that offers its customers “art you can bring home.” In celebration of Pomegranate’s commitment to inclusivity, we’re proud to spotlight some of the brilliant women artists in their catalogue! Read more about Pomegranate below.
Shimmering trees, brightly colored flowers, and serene leaves — all of these feature in Joan Metcalf’s paintings, inspired by the nature of the Pacific Northwest. “I try to portray nature at its most colorful and dramatic,” she says on her website.
Metcalf graduated from the University of Washington in 1960 with a B.A. in Painting and has been painting ever since. She has won awards, including the Manhattan Arts International Award of Excellence, and her paintings can be found in corporate boardrooms and reception areas across the country.
Metcalf has painted with watercolors, acrylics, and oils, but several years ago, she started using a combination of oil paint and composition metal leaf. Inspired by the Japanese Rimpa tradition, the metal leaf creates a shimmering effect.
Working mostly with large canvases, Metcalf paints in her studio in Oregon. She says she has a “fascination with the lush natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest.”
During the COVID quarantine, her inspiration for paintings has come much closer to home in her own backyard and garden. Her goal has been to “continue to paint as much cheer as possible.”
Metcalf’s work is available online and at several galleries. I caught up with Metcalf to get her views on the evolution of her art, the importance of art to her, and her work with Pomegranate.
NA: When did you first know you wanted to become an artist?
Joan Metcalf: I have always been interested in art, but was actually a journalism major in college when I interviewed the new art teacher, and she convinced me to change my major to art. I have been so grateful for that encouragement and the expert instruction she gave me.
NA: How have your paintings changed and evolved over the course of your career? Has what your art means to you changed over time?
Joan Metcalf: I have been a professional artist since I graduated from the University of Washington in 1960, and my paintings have changed many times over the years. I have painted with oils, watercolors and acrylics, and my subjects have been landscapes, seascapes, abstracts, florals and many others. I usually changed because I needed new inspiration and challenges. My current technique is a combination of oils and composition metal leaf and is so intriguing — with the reflections and shimmer of the metal leaf — that I have no desire to change again.
NA: What do you think is the importance of art, especially during a difficult time like we’ve been going through with the pandemic lately?
Joan Metcalf: Ironically, the pandemic and isolation have given me extra time to paint, which also helps me to stay grounded and cope with all of the fears, frustration and sadness of these current times. I’m a member of an organization called “The Healing Power of Art” and believe that art lifts the spirit of both the viewer and the artist, and creates a healing atmosphere.
NA: Do you think you’ve faced challenges in your career because of being a female artist?
Joan Metcalf: I have never felt that being a woman was a handicap in my long professional art career. Perhaps the fact that all of my galleries were either owned or managed by women made a difference in that respect. I’ve also been so fortunate in the support and encouragement of my parents, husband and daughters. My only problem was finding the time to create art and still meet my responsibilities of being a wife, mother and daughter.
NA: Can you tell me a bit about your work with Pomegranate and what it means to you to be included in their collection?
Joan Metcalf: Katie Burke, the former publisher of Pomegranate, contacted me in January of 2020 to see if I would be interested in their publishing a boxed set of four note cards. I had submitted my website for viewing several months earlier, hoping to interest them in printing a calendar. Since then, they have also printed a puzzle, individual note cards and calendars for 2022 and 2023. It has been a wonderful experience because Katie and Cory Mimms (the new publisher) and their staff have been so enthusiastic and encouraging about my work.
I love having my paintings in such a beautiful collection of art and it has lifted my spirits and kept me painting every day.
A new Joan Metcalf 2022 Wall Calendar is available for purchase on Pomegranate.com. Check it out here!
Remember, the artist receives a greater portion of the proceeds if you buy directly from Pomegranate.
© Nicole Ackman FF2 Media (11/30/21) Special for FF2 Media®.
LEARN MORE
To learn more, start by visiting Joan Metcalf’s website. Then click on this page to swim inside her koi ponds 🙂
Check out Pomegranate’s Joan Metcalf collection which also contains birthday cards, notecards and a puzzle.
Click HERE for more about Joan Metcalf’s participation in “The Healing Power of ART” (an initiative of Manhattan Arts International).
CREDITS & PERMISSIONS
Images from Pomegranate’s 2022 Joan Metcalf calendar have been provided by Pomegranate and are used here by FF2 Media with their permission. All Rights Reserved by Pomegranate.
