Joanna Carrabbio
“If you could see the miracle in a single flower…”
Artist Statement
The natural world is my subject matter. My desire to create paintings from
nature is best illustrated by a quotation drawn from a text by Rachel Carson (On a Farther Shore, The Life and Legacy of Rachel Carson” by William Souder).
Rachel Carson says, “…the concept of nature was itself a
tricky construct, but that she liked the simple definition that identified
nature as “the part of the world that man did not make.” Carson goes
on to say that she was often mystified by the reaction when she
showed people the many forms of life flourishing in a tidal pool.
Were these living entities edible? Could they be made into some kind of useful product? Carson said she could scarcely understand these questions when it was impossible to “assign a value” to creatures so exquisite that their mere existence should be cause for contentment with the peerless universe.”
I feel the same way about nature.
I love to focus on a detail and build on its design through repetition into the larger composition of form in a simplified abstracted style. In this process, I go back and forth with realism as the source, and through translation, I try to convey my personal language. My paintings are created as a metaphor for the color, light and shadow, texture, rhythm, pattern and compositional designs and structural forms I see and love in nature.
Biography
Joanna Carrabbio, originally from Michigan, earned a BFA from Wayne
State University, Detroit Michigan in 1973.
After graduation and travel, relocation to Los Angeles, California,
enrolled in 2 credential programs. At UCLA, obtained a secondary
teaching credential in graphic design. At CSUDH, obtained a secondary
K-12 art credential.
From 1982 – 2009 successfully taught design, drawing, painting,
sculpture and advanced placement studio art for LAUSD.
Commissions for mural designs for EMI-Capitol Records, working as a
graphic designer for Bergen Brunswig, commissions for the Los Angeles
Cultural Affairs Department, juried into the Minnesota Museum of Art
for “Drawings USA” and freelancing with illustration assignments,
assisted professional development and personal growth.
Recently, included in an exhibit at the Los Angeles County Museum of
Art (2016) “The Artists of Abbott Kinney, Venice, California”. Most
recently, juried into the OSU Giustina Gallery, Corvallis OR – “Marine
Food Webs: Drifters to Swimmers” (2020).
After living in Los Angeles, California for thirty-five years, moved to
Eugene, Oregon in 2009. She lives with her husband, Marco Elliott, an
artist, author and activist, currently engaged in breaking free from fossil
fuel energy. Their daughter, Chloe Elliott attended the University of
Oregon and received a BS in Geological Sciences.
www.joannacarrabbio.com and on Instagram and Facebook
Exhibited at: The Bush Barn Gallery, Salem, OR –“Art as Science”
Lincoln County Historical Society, Newport, OR –“Tidal Waters”
Coos Art Museum, Coos Bay, OR –“All Things Salmon”
Glenn & Viola Walters Cultural Arts Center, Hillsboro, OR – “Jackson
Bottom Wetlands, Flora and Fauna”
Karen Clarke Art Annex, Eugene, OR – “Wildflowers of Oregon”
Eugene Downtown Library, Eugene, OR – “Joanna Carrabbio Paintings”
Vistra Framing & Gallery, Eugene, OR – “Joanna Carrabbio Paintings”
Out on a Limb, Eugene, OR – Joanna Carrabbio Paintings”
OSU, Giustina Gallery, Corvallis, OR – “Marine Food Webs: Drifters to
Swimmers”
A member of the National Guild of Natural Science Illustrators and of its
Oregon Chapter.
A member of the Watercolor Society of Oregon
A Journey of Discovery
Take a walk through the gardens and Native Plant Park to discover whimsical creations and permanent art installations. The centerpiece is a set of three 24′ high decorative cast iron grills depicting evergreen forests by internationally known artist Jan Zach (pictured above). The grills were commissioned in 1960 and originally installed on the Equitable Savings and Loan Building in Roseburg). Other highlights include a stunning stone fountain by Lincoln Russel of BR Nursery and recent works by metal artist Phil Beck.