Joan   
Findley-Perls artist’s statement

I draw to explore the spaces between: between seen and unseen, wild and domestic, memory and imagination. My work is rooted in close observation but guided by intuition, symbolism, and a sense of wonder. What begins as realism often bends toward metaphor, inviting the viewer to look deeper and find their own meaning.

I’m drawn to dualities—the quiet and the fierce, the soft and the strange, the familiar and the unknown. These tensions animate my creative process and reflect the layered nature of being alive. Raised in the high desert of the American Southwest and shaped by Celtic heritage, I carry a deep reverence for natural cycles, mythic undercurrents, and the spiritual resonance of place.

I work primarily in graphite, ink, and watercolor, building images with care and curiosity. Though my subjects evolve—from animals to plants, from symbolic narratives to more emotional terrains—my intention remains constant: to connect. I want to evoke something felt but not always spoken, something that lingers.