Joan Griffin’s Statement

The landscape is the primary influence on my tapestries. I focus on  a detail  of a  landscape and translate  my own imagery. It may be near  the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia where I live or other places I travel. The relationship between color and form is the most important consideration, with combinations of fine wool, silk and metallic yarns. As each  tapestry develops,  the  shapes and memories  from the landscape evolve.

“Breeze” reflects  leaves falling , floating to the ground. “Shadows in the Forest” depicts  the colors and motions in the forest, the lights, the darks, the shapes. “Following the River” is another interpretation of fall where the leaves are floating along the water traveling wherever the flow will take them.

Joan Griffin’s Biography

I began my art career as a watercolor painter and art teacher  but have  concentrated on tapestry for the last 35 years. My preliminary  designs for a tapestry  are often done in watercolors or collage.  I work on mixed media  pieces as small as 4 inches sq. to large 8 ft wide tapestries. The scale is always a challenge and I like the change. My work  has been shown both nationally and internationally as well as completing commissions.   I have  participated in several  exhibits  sponsored by the U.S. State Department, Art in Embassy program. Periodically,  I teach small group tapestry workshops in my Charlottesville, VA studio.