Waterworks Visual Arts Center

Concord-based painter Joy Moser approaches her vibrant landscapes as a means of emancipation and freedom, both for herself and for her viewers.  A commercial illustrator in Charlotte for many years, Moser delights in bringing out the unique characteristics of wide, open spaces in a much looser and more expressive style than the commercial world would have allowed.  After developing a highly refined style of realistic rendering in a fast-paced urban environment, she works now to loosen up her brushstrokes and allow the colors, sounds, smells and temperatures of rural North Carolina to guide her formal decisions.  Her love of open spaces, big skies and fresh air leads her to try to capture the freedom and pleasure found in the outdoors, and she wants to share that enjoyment with viewers.  Moser says, “I want everyone that views my paintings to feel like they can stretch out, take a deep breath, and clear their minds.  My paintings are therapeutic for today’s hectic world.”

Joy Moser’s works are made by layering acrylic washes using long-handled brushes and abundant water, both of which promote a spontaneous, dynamic process.  Her influences include Georgia O’Keeffe and Vincent van Gogh, and she describes her current style as surreal and impressionistic.  Her paintings do indeed carry a slight trace of the uncanny:  scale relationships are sometimes slightly exaggerated or pared back; figures have barely perceptible halos of bright color around them; color schemes are just a bit brighter and more vivid than strictly necessary for verisimilitude.  But even these touches of the surreal or fantastic have a harmonious effect.  Rather than creating a conflict between image and reality, it is more accurate to say that Moser merely imbues the image with her moods and inner states.  And these subtle effects are more innocent and childlike than they are disruptive, adding even more to the soothing pleasure of viewing.

Joy Moser is a native of Charlotte.  She received her BFA in painting from the Univerity of North Carolina at Charlotte and pursued a very successful career as a fashion illustrator and designer.  She has recently returned to painting as a full-time occupation and is actively engaged in creating new work and exhibiting around the state.