Featuring Fresco Artist Joy Baer 2013 Artists Series

I would like to introduce you to the gifted artist, Joy Baer.

Her work is wondrous and her use of Old World Techniques is done exquisitely.

Please enjoy our conversation and some of her works of art!

Wall panel detail "Eternal" fresco with bronze minerals

 1) and 2)    Joy, I have loved seeing your enthusiasm and coverage on the Kansas City Art Scene; even though you have frescoes all over the world. What sparked your interest in creating works of art and when?

When I was a child, I was inspired by an article on Pompeii , Italy in a National Geographic Magazine. The frescoes' message transcend time with themes of family, commerce and great food. Today there is a loneliness in modern day communication. A fresco message has an earth-made sense of camaraderie and community. There is a sociality about a storytelling fresco. My goal is to bring this power of storytelling frescoes into businesses, public spaces and homes worldwide.

"Church Wall, Salute" plaster fresco detail

3)    Were there other mediums you worked in before the art of  Frescoes?

 Other mediums, yes! "Fresco" is Italian for "fresh." The process is created using fresh earth minerals, water and plaster. This process can also be created on stone, slate, cave walls, canvas, bisque ceramic - any porous surface. A chemical bond occurs, which can endure for centuries. There is a natural, intuitive instinct in painting the fresco process, and a feeling of permanence. Where old world meets new, I scan frescoes and send them into other venues of communication on line. A recent show "Storytelling Paper Outfits" used earth minerals and fresh inks on hand-made fiber paper to convey their stories. Currently I'm working on a fresco robotic display for an upcoming gallery show that will express this concept of timelessness.

Earth minerals, pigments and inks on hand-made paper fibers

"Home: Dorothy Gale" in the Colombian Foundation Museum

 4)    Have you traveled extensively to see examples of frescoes and their history? How did that inspire you? Have particular artists inspired your works?

 

The fresco process is found in every culture throughout history. The earth creates an endless and sustainable gift of art supplies. 

Earth Minerals

Teaching a fresco workshop in Pompeii, Italy inspired me for eternity. A future fresco workshop is planned in Hong Kong. There is no limit for this inspiration. I am inspired by all fellow artists, both ancient and current.

"Purple Rain" fresco casein on Canvas

 5)    Tell us about your work for Hallmark Cards Headquarters.

My work background includes being an art director for ad agencies and a creative product designer for Hallmark. I love communication in all forms, in all cultures, throughout history. I was inspired working with people from around the world, especially the computer geniuses. These jobs were wonderful, but I held a longing for authenticity in a world filled with increasing non-personal messages. From my research, a fresco can be defined as having an ancient spiritual quality and association, with a message that is endless. I was ready to begin painting frescoes. My family jokes that it took me 45 years to create my first fresco. Today, I paint quickly and with gusto.

6)    Where some of your art installations; and what are you currently working on? I hear it is quite exciting.

 

In the studio, at any given time, I work on a variety of fresco projects. I am honored to have frescoes in museums and pubic spaces, and to keep me humble, my sister displays my fresco above her bathtub. My frescoes are also in bathrooms around the world, and I am happy with this. Today I am in the planning stages for a fresco project in Washington D.C. .

Outdoor Fresco Studio, Joy Baer

7)    Where can our readers see your art whether online or in galleries, public spaces etc?

www.joybaerfrescoes.com gives a current list of where to find frescoes in public spaces. Each month I promote a fresco to charity, with an attempt to give back to our community. Facebook will show what is being created in the studio each week, and I also use LinkedIn for ongoing and future fresco projects. My work is represented by the Todd Weiner East Gallery, 1817 Grand, KC MO. Worldwide, I am represented by Bridgeman Art in London .

Detail Plaster Fresco tabletop 3 x 2 ft x 1.5" deep

8)    Finally what advice do you have for the aspiring artist of any age or place in their career?

While painting a fresco, there is an interval where everything is coming together. This is carbonation, a chemical bonding, but something far more profound is occurring. I describe it best as a jubilee. A leisure. It's the mystery of the creative process. There is a spontaneity in painting a fresco, combined with a sense of eternal permanence. When I'm painting, I feel buoyant, as though I coexist with time. I encourage all artists to strive for this unhurried, natural and gentle countenance. It took years of faith to get here and I shifted from artist angst to artist faith. My goal is that each fresco will march with a message of inspiration and hope. I have a complete trust in the creative process.

"Heaven" plaster fresco, Ralph Foster Museum

Joy, thank you so much for your intuitive and poignant thoughts on the artistic process and an artists' life!

Dear Friends and Followers. I hope you have enjoyed this feature and please do leave a comment on Joy's works of art! I truly appreciate your support of the Art's

xoxo
Karena
Art by Karena