Joyce Wright was born in Louisiana in the depths of bayou country, where egrets fly free and gators regularly sunbathe in backyards.  Neighbors can chit-chat off the docks as they crab for dinner or watch a trot-line for catfish.  And the scents of frying boudin and steaming shrimp tantalize the senses.

    Rain in the deep south is so common that the constant mist and daily showers are ignored, a damp, steamy part of life, unworthy of rain-gear and umbrellas.  Light is a misty, shadowed glare that bites the eyes, while high temperatures turn the world into a humid heaven and a muddy mire.  It was here that Joyce learned to look at the world and seek harmony, a balancing of the forces of nature. 

    As a child in the post-depression years, when paper was scarce as sugar and gasoline, Joyce learned that she had a talent -- and that talent could bring her rewards.  For each pencil drawing of a fancy lady wearing an elegant ball-gown, Joyce collected two sheets of clean paper.   Childhood friends thought that exchange well worth the price!
    

Joyce considers her talent for painting a God-given gift, one she has worked hard to expand and enlarge upon.  Some of her finest work adorns the walls in the baptisteries of local churches.   Preferring to work primarily in acrylics, watercolor, pen-an-ink, and charcoal, she has sold works in sizes that range from small table art to wall-spanning murals with subject matter as far ranging as the cityscape of Paris, France, to the backyard bayou scenes of her youth.  Many of Joyce's paintings are personalized for the buyer, with medium and palette combined for the individual.  At any time, however, there are some few paintings available for purchase by the public.

    Life on the bayous gave Joyce a unique perspective on the effects and qualities of light and shadow, and color was a heady palette of both muted and vibrant shades.  Even asleep, Joyce dreams in full spectrum, her quiescent mind searching for balance, harmony and order.   She says that some of her best work is born in her dreams.

    Using her artistic abilities and paintings, Joyce raised three children, all now happily married and providing her with grandchildren.  The artist now lives in South Carolina with her husband, Jim, and Leo, their blond chow-chow, in a sprawling home, its walls painted with scenes of her youth.  Please browse the site to see the scope and depth of Joyce's art.

    For more info on the artist or her work, you can email her at:          joyce@artbyjoyce.com