Joanne Osband

Art has been my personal expression since early childhood and continues to speak through me as I journey in the process of creating. Trained at an early age to visualize and represent life images with pastels and educated in fine arts at UCLA, I have explored many media finding watercolors my passion of the past 25 years. The flow of the water and pigments on paper fascinates me. Painting with watercolors is a blend of spontaneity and control and freedom. Each act of painting begins with the thought, “I wonder what will appear?” There is no formula to painting with watercolors. In the midst of painting an inner guidance says, some purple here, now. I usually start with quick applications of color and then play with the negative shapes to bring forth images. 

Watercolor paper when torn creates distinct shapes with wonderful uneven edges. In a fleeting ray of inspiration, I decided to tear parts of paintings and recreate a new painting; thus, the birth of my collage watercolor paintings. I have always been an avid recycler! The process continued to evolve when I began to tear shapes resembling nature out of older watercolor paintings, assemble the composition, and continue to paint the picture. More recently, I have added water-based oil paint to the collage painting to provide greater depth and deeper color. Now, I find myself going back and forth between traditional watercolor and collage watercolor painting so much that they have begun to merge as one. This new dimension of painting continues to inspire my creativity and provides me with a unique way to express myself.

While working on my master’s in art therapy, I began creating Mandala paintings in watercolors to gain deeper insights and awareness of myself and the field of art therapy. I return to mandala paintings often and find that over the years they reveal my life story. I like to juxtapose nature as subject matter in my paintings and have a yearning love of the outdoors.

Along with creating art, especially watercolor painting, I design workshops for group or individual intent with specific foci to explore the creative process through art media to foster self-awareness.

I spent 15 years as an art therapist, school counselor, and consultant with school districts in Oregon and Washington, and in private practice. More recently I have been an art therapist for the elderly population in nursing homes and a Hospice Comfort Care Therapist.

"Artistic expression lies in all of us and requires only a sense of trust and the freedom to allow the flowing for magic to happen."