Joy McAllister
JOY McALLISTER
ARTIST STATEMENT
My mother has been my biggest supporter and influence in helping direct me as an artist. In kindergarten I won first prize at the LA County Fair for one of my first watercolors. She always told me I would be an artist, encouraging me my entire life.
I rented a studio space in downtown Pomona in 1985, before it was officially the 'Arts Colony'. The small band of artists making up the art community were an essential life line for my career as a muralist and quest to become a fine artist.
The dA, now called the dA Center for the Arts was a hub for this art community to exchange ideas and show our work. I was asked to join the Pomona Cultural Art Commission in 2009 for my specific qualifications as a working artist living in the downtown.
My mural career began in 1975 while attending Otis Art Institute. The experience gained over the next 35 years provided the knowledge needed to evaluate the community projects presented to the Commission for approval. While a member of the Commission I had the privilege of helping draft Pomona’s Art in Public Places Ordinance. After serving 9 years on the Commission, I served for 3 years On Pomona's, Cultural Arts Advisory Committee.
Two quotes from Robert Motherwell express my vision as an artist:
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“The function of the artist is to express reality as felt.”
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“Art is a sense of creative freedom transforming my act of painting into a means of self discovery.”
Music was my first vehicle as an artist. Since my voice had its limitations, I became proficient in playing harmonica, joining 5 bands in my life. Painting though was the medium I wanted as my career. It helped define who I was, and was a means of self discovery.
I’ve made a living painting murals and faux finishing both in residential and commercial settings for over 40 years.
In 2009 I was able to completely focus on my own work for the first time ever. I then began expressing myself in large abstract paintings. My inspiration is the magnificent world we live in; color, light, shadow, motion, flora, fauna…EVERYTHING! My desire is capturing a moment of the amazing movement of life.