Introducing the House Artist
A play of sunlight and a rainbow of color entice the eye in the house portraits created by Joan Doyle, native of Ireland and resident of California for 15 years. With evident skill her exquisite watercolors merge and mingle in warm washes of color, from which a portrait of someone’s home and pride and joy emerges. She seems to create an idyll, an amalgam of color and light which transforms the simplest of subjects. “People take such pride in their homes. I like to convey that love which the owner feels for their place of refuge,” says Joan, “Who doesn’t love the sight of home at the end of the day?” As Dorothy said “there’s no place like home!” Joan’s portraits are not just bricks and mortar; they have a warm and intimate aspect that welcomes the viewer.
Joan was delighted by the individuality and variety of styles of homes she encountered on her morning walks in Glendale, California in her first years living away from Ireland. A watercolorist from a young age, she was inspired by the beauty of her surroundings and it was only a matter of time before she began to paint homes in her neighborhood.
Upon moving to California, Joan spent five years as a Special Effects animator for Walt Disney Feature Animation on the film “Fantasia 2000”. “People are curious about what I do as a Special Effects artist,” Joan says. “I explain that I animate leaves blowing, rain falling, water splashing, smoke billowing, lightning flashing, fire burning, and many other evocative elements that give a film atmosphere.” These talents translate well into her paintings of lush garden settings for the architectural details of her house portraits. Her technique involves great complexity as she combines glazing, pouring and years of handling the difficult medium to create a work of art that is both controlled and fluid. Vibrant color in the dappled, dancing shadows and foliage help create a work that entertains and pleases.
Asked how she transitioned from animation to house painting, she says, “I decided one day to take some photos of a house that particularly appealed to me. I thought it would make a lovely painting for my own walls. As I positioned myself with my camera, a gentleman crossed the street and inquired, “Are you the house artist?” With no hesitation and an amused smile, I replied, “Yes! Yes, I am the house artist!” Consequently she called her website by that name, www.theHouseArtist.com.
Through her website Joan has the ability to reach across the entire continent. She has painted homes from Oregon to Georgia. She finds her chosen career infinitely interesting as each project presents its own challenges and character.
One man, a resident of Savanna, Illinois, desired a painting of his historic home, Havencrest Castle. This man’s home truly was his castle. However, several trees blocked what he considered the perfect view. Joan solved that problem by painting them out. Her client was elated. Joan often gets special requests to move a bush, include a bird box or paint out a fire hydrant. Its part of the creation of the idealized picture the person has of their home and is the great advantage of a painting over a photograph.
Another client’s childhood home had been long since remodeled and was no longer occupied by the family. Old photos, taken in the 1950s, included the client as a little girl sitting on the front steps. The painting was to be a gift for the client’s mother so that she could recall the many fond memories of their time spent there. “These are my favorite projects. I really love knowing that the home was so well loved and that happy times were spent there” said Joan. “Then I know my paintings have great meaning for the recipient. I love knowing that my creations, which are like my babies, are going to a good home!”
Because Joan can’t always be at the location of the home she requires her clients to take several photos of the house; one at the angle from which they wish the final portrait to depict the home and then several close ups to capture details that don’t necessarily show up in a distant shot. The delivery time is normally two weeks from receipt of the photos unless she is particularly busy. The painting comes matted and in a standard size ready for framing. It’s not only a unique gift idea for a proud homeowner but it’s also a work of art that can be part of a family’s history for generations.
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