Hirdie Girdie showcases art of JoAnn LaPadula

Hirdie Girdie’s guest artist for March is JoAnn LaPadula, a member of the Alliance for the Arts and the Fort Myers Beach Art Association.
After 30 years as a graphic artist, JoAnn now has a second career creating very unique watercolor paintings in a style she developed after lessons with watercolor artist Liam Zhen. She starts with three primary colors – specifically a brilliant yellow called gamboge nova, vermillion red, and transparent Antwerp blue. After pouring small amounts of each color onto the watercolor paper, she blows them around with a straw. She continues until she sees the possibility of a subject. She then stops that process and continues painting the subject and background in the more traditional way.
She does not have the subject in mind when she begins painting, but because of her years as a graphic artist, she is quick to grasp and retrieve the images from her memory. JoAnn describes her style as colorful abstract/realist.
Her finished work is always exciting, fresh, and very professionally executed, and Hirdie Girdie is pleased and fortunate to have her exhibit there this month.
Hirdie Girdie Gallery is located at 2490 Library Way on Sanibel. For more information, call the gallery at 239-395-0027 or visit online at www.hirdiegirdiegallery.com