Joni Smith is a prolific self-taught artist who has been drawing since childhood. Over the course of Joni’s 60-year art practice, she has filled hundreds of sketchbooks.

For Joni, art is a primary communication tool. She will draw for over eight hours each day, often filling both sides of her sketchbook pages. Joni draws with a confident, strong hand, making seemingly instantaneous decisions about color as she layers her lines with fluid, instinctual strokes. Over time, each page becomes saturated with vibrant, varied strokes and layers of color. Sometimes the page will tear under the force of her strokes.

In 2021, Joni joined North Pole Studio where her creative practice expanded dramatically. Utilizing an upright drafting table, Joni became able to work at a much larger scale from her wheelchair. Over the past three years, Joni has created a stunning collection of large-scale mixed media abstract paintings, characterized by rich layers of bold and harmonious color.

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