Joann Dewwealth-O’Brien didn’t start making art until an adult, when, in 2014, she moved from Malaysia to Baltimore. She remembers liking art as a child, but did not consider this a viable career path for herself. Once in the United States, she found time afterhours from her full-time job as an IT professional, a career she’s held for over 23 years, to make and share art. Joann began her art exploration with doodle drawings in marker and colored pencil, eventually moving onto acrylic and watercolor paintings. The first place she showed her work was Patterson Perk, a coffee shop on Eastern Avenue near Patterson Park. She even sold a few pieces, which motivated her to keep creating!
Joann says her art is influenced by everything around her, but looks for inspiration particularly in nature, Patterson Park, and other artists. She even draws inspiration from her favorite show, Star Trek, which she often turns on while working (“It keeps the ghosts away!”). Her studio is set up in the basement of her home, but you can find art supplies and projects at various stages scattered throughout her house. She often sketches her painting in pencil first and then applies the acrylic paint. Joann works on a foil palette, as it allows for easy clean up, and hates to waste paint – if she has any left over at the end of a piece, she just adds it to a new canvas!
Contact: Jdewwealth@gmail.com
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