The Joy Of My Life
The desire to paint has been with me my whole life. The love of color and the blending of different hues excite me.The challenge is to see the subtle differences in color in an object or subject. To push the color to enhance it, to excite it, thrills me. To see what I have done and wonder how I did it amazes me. The pleasure to finally find myself and to express it in my art gives me the greatest joy of my life. The whole world fades away, and I am wonderfully lost in time. It is my hope that you share the excitement in my paintings and enjoy how I express myself in art. Perhaps Robert Henri, the famous art teacher and author of The Art Spirit, said it best, and I agree, “When the brush touches the surface, the soul speaks.” Joan Skiver-Levy
OIL
WATERCOLOR ACRYLIC
PASTEL
MIXED MEDIUM CHARCOAL
INK
BRUSH
OR PALLET KNIFE PAINTINGS
Flower Flower Abstract,
Flower
Abstract, mixed medium,
finished size 15x18 - 3 inch white mat white metal frame $400.00
Kohava’s Flower
Kohava’s
Flower, mixed medium,
finished
size 15x18 - 3 inch
white mat white metal frame $400.00
Mjxed-Peppers
Mixed
peppers, mixed medium,
finished size 28x36- 3 inch white mat white metal frame $2,800.00
Peony, mixed medium
finished
size 28x36- 3 inch white
mat white metal frame $2,800.00
Starburst, Pastels
15x18
3 inch white mat white
metal frame $400.00
Turnips, mixed medium
Finished
size 28x36- 3 inch white
mat white metal frame $2,800.00
Yellow Onions
Acrylic,
finished size 28x36
- 3 inch white mat white metal frame $2,800.00
Off The Deep IN
Acrylic,
finished size 28x36
- 3 inch white mat white metal frame $2,800.00
Be My Lily
Acrylic,
finished size 21x23,
3 inch white mat, white metal frame $900.00
Turning Peppers © $1.700.00
PRIZE WINNING Watercolor Medium Finished
Size
22 x 28 Matted In Pure
White With White Metal Frame.
Rocks and Boards © $1,200.00
Acrylic
Medium Finished
Size 20 x 24 Matted in pure white with
White
metal frame and Plexiglas
Ready to hang
Trees © $850.00
Watercolor
Medium Framed and
finished
size
11 x 14 Matted in pure
white with White frame and Plexiglas.
CALLING TO ME
The desert calls me Deep inside my soul
Cactus
standing tall
Like
lonely men on guard
Visions
of Indians
In
my make believe mind
Thoughts
of wagon trains
On
their difficult journey
Sun
appearing through
All
times all days
Winds
blow the tumbleweeds
In
a crazy dance
Mountains
in the distance
Rise
in majestic grandeur
The
sun fades into a
Burst
of glorious flame
Have
I been here before?
In
another life?
Was
I Indian or pioneer?
Or
a spirit in the wind?
The
desert calls me
Deep
inside my soul
Joan
Skiver- Levy ©
3/7/2003
Oranges © $850.00
Watercolor
Medium Framed and
Finished
Size
16 x 20 Matted in pure
white with White frame and Plexiglass.
Pretty Flowers © Sold
Pretty
Flowers ©
11
x 14
Watercolor
Medium
Matted
in pure white with
White
frame and Plexiglas.
Ready
to hang
$250.00
Sold
Green Pears © $1,700.00
22 x 28 Watercolor Medium
Matted In Pure White With White Fame And Plexiglass.
Blue
Berries © $850.00
SOLD
Oil
Medium
Basket of Peaches © $2,500.00
45"
x 30 " Oil Medium On
Masonite
RECOVERY
Ready
to grab life
With
both hands
Exciting
days
In
front of me
Precious
time
Numbered
days
To
soar to do
What
I want
No
role model
Free
to be me
Joy
of my days
Time
well spent
Who
am I?
That’s
my goal
Interesting
search
Finding
me
Discovering
finally
I
am good enough
Joan
Skiver- Levy ©
3/30/2003
RED ONIONS © $1,900.00
ACRYLIC
Finished Size 21 X 26
Framed in very white mat and white metal frame with plexiglass.
PAPER BAGS 1 © $200.00
CHARCOAL
Finished
size 16 x 20
Framed
in black mat and black
metal
frame
with
plexiglass
PAPER BAGS 2 © $200.00
CHARCOAL
Finished
size 16 x 20
Framed
in black mat and black
metal
frame
with
plexiglass
AUTUMN JOY © $2000.00
Oil
Medium - Palette Knife Framed
Size 29 X 35 Winner of Best of Show. Oil Pallet knife painting.
Glorious
fall scene with water and trees. My favorite time of the year. My art
professor
said this looked like it was done by a wild fauve. Sometime I get a
little
wild and I love it. Free and easy painting for me. Not a care in the
world
when I paint. Wonderfully lost time.
Not For Sale
Study
Copy of Original ©
Oil
Medium
Framed
Size is 28 x 32
Le Pepper © $2,000.00
Oil Medium Framed Size 15x19 PRIZE WINNING AND AWARD WINNING
Rocks and Boards 2 © $1,800.00
Acrylic
Medium
Finished
Framed Size is
24 x 30
Ready
to hang
THE JOURNEY Of Life
The
journey of life is a
Doubtful
frustrating mystery
Where
am I going?
To
what end?
Another
lesson to learn?
Day
after day
Year
after year
Perhaps
eons after eons
Sometimes
lonely and sad
Stumbling
on my way
I
am like a seeker
A
searcher of the unknown
Is
this journey here and now
All
that matters?
Is
it getting to the end
Knowing
I’ve done well?
Or
will I look back
And
be ashamed of my life?
Is
loving the only concept to
learn?
Easy
to say hard to do
Many
are unlovable
Many
are unable to love
So
sad to miss the joy of loving
To
stay safe and never dare
What
a waste on our journey of
life
To
perhaps learn that love is
all that matters
Joan
Skiver- Levy ©
5/18/2003
STUDY OF GOURDS CHARCOAL $100.00
FINISHED
FRAMED SIZE 16 X 20
MATTED IN BLACK AND BLACK MENTAL FRAME
STILL LIFE IN CHARCOAL © $150.00
ON
LIGHT GREEN PAPER
FRAMED
FINISHED SIZE 15 X 18
BLACK
MAT WITH BLACK FRAME
Dancing Apples © $1,700.00
Medium
Watercolor
24x30
Ready
to hang
Matted
in very white, white
metal
frame and plexiglass
Left Over Paint © $500.00
Oil--Pallett
Knife Framed Finished
size is 16 x 18 Ready to hang
Outer Space Blue Berries © $2000.00
Watercolor
Framed
Finished Size is 22 x
28
Ready
to hang
Matted
in very white with
White
frame and Glass.
Daisy Cat © Not For Sale
Watercolor
Framed Finished Size
Is 9"x 9" Matted In Very White With White Frame And
Plexiglass.
Mums © $2000.00
Oil
Pallet Knife 29 x 36 Ready
To Hang
Space Berries © $500.00
Oil
Medium Finished size 16 x
20 Ready To Hang
Three Trees © $900.00
AWARD
WINNING
Oil
Medium - Pallet Knife
Finished
size 24 x 27
Ready
to hang
SOLD
$0.00
PRIVATE COLLECTION Not For Sale
THE
LATE GRAPE PLANET GRAPE
PAINTING
SIZE IS 12" X 16"
A
LARGE VERSION 6 FEET X 8 FEET
HANGS
AT SOUTHEASTERN ILLINOIS
COLLEGE
IN THE PERMANENT ART
COLLECTION
AWARD
WINNING $0.00 Sold
AWARD
WINNING $0.00 Sold
AWARD
WINNING $0.00 Sold
AWARD
WINNING $0.00 Sold
Happiness
What
is happiness?
We
all have our own dream
Finding
someone to love?
To
share your life
Living
sorrow and joy
That
makes up our existence
Perhaps
share the lessons
In
our children’s lives
I
think not I hope not
Happiness
is elusive
We
look in the wrong places
Maybe
we should look inside
To
understand the truly marvelous
Unlimited
boundaries of the
mind
Everything
is there that is needed
A
wellspring for the taking
The
spirit inside
Knowledge
beauty talent
Flowing
in and out
Waiting
to be discovered
Look
inside
You
will be astounded
All
within your reach
Not
somewhere else
Deep
in side you
Is
all you will ever need.
Joan
Skiver-Levy ©
4/20/03
Newly created from our Midwest Fall Pepper Harvest
August 29, 2006
These painting are a result of my visits to our local farmers markets in Southern Illinois. The gorgeous fall crop of bell peppers particular entranced me and I just had to do several paintings and get lost in their beauty. I took the finished paintings back to the farmers so they could see how I interpreted their crops in paint. They all seemed delighted and told me to come back when ever I wanted. I made many good friends there.
Joan
Skiver-Levy
Original
Art. Capturing the Midwest
fall harvest of
wonderful
bell peppers.
Beautiful
Beautiful Bell Peppers
1©
Acrylic
Finished
Size 21 X 26 Framed
in very white mat and white metal frame
with
plexiglass
$1700.00
SOLD
Beautiful
Beautiful Bell Peppers
2 ©
Acrylic
Finished
Size 21 X 26 Framed
in very white mat and white metal frame
with
plexiglass
$1700.00 SOLD
Limited
Giclee Prints available
@
$500.00
each of this painting
Beautiful
Beautiful Bell Peppers
3 ©
Acrylic
Finished
Size 21 X 26 Framed
in very white mat and white metal frame
with
plexiglass
$1,700.00
Beautiful
Beautiful Bell Peppers
4 ©
Acrylic
Finished
Size 21 X 26 Framed
in very white mat and white metal frame
with
plexiglass
$1,700.00
Another pepper painting from Midwest Harvest.
Green
Bell Peppers ©
Watercolor
painting is matted
and framed in very white mental frame.
Finished
Size 21 X 26
$1,700.00
Relationships
We
Hurt
Then
help
We
are blissful
Reversing
to pain
We
love
Only
to hate
Powerful
master
To
weak slave
We
attract
Only
to push away
Will
He
Won’t
she
Peculiar
Opposites
Seesawing
Rhythms
Ah!
Human
Behavior
Joan
Skiver-Levy ©
2/26/04
Green Pears © $1900.00
Acrylic
Pallet Knife Finished
Size 19 x 24 As Framed
Green Serenity © $1,500.00
Oil
Finished Size 23 x 27 As
Framed
LOVE,
IT’S OVER
I
waited so long
I
thought it would never end
I
don’t care anymore
It’s
finally done
No
more tears
My
love is gone
He
is not much
I
wonder what I saw
I
guess I did not
Really
see at all
I
was blinded by my grief
Not
thinking clear
The
lessons learned
Take
care of me
Love
myself first
I
am important
No
abuse for me
I
am special
The
pain is over for me
His
will never end
History
repeats itself
And
he never learns
He
is the loser not me
Nothing
to retrieve for me
I
have not lost a thing
Love,
its over
Joan
Skiver-Levy ©
6/16/2003
Shades of Van Gogh © $1,300.00
Oil
- Pallet knife Finished Size
20 x 28 1st Place Winner
JAR IN CHARCOAL © $150.00
ON
LIGHT GREEN PAPER
FRAMED
FINISHED SIZE 15 X 18
BLACK
MAT WITH BLACK FRAME
Women Beware
So
dark are his thoughts
Planning
his attack
Dominate
and destroy
That’s
his game
A
predator on the prowl
Seeking
the next victim
Split
personality
Lamb
to jackal
Weaving
his troubled thoughts
To
get even with another one
Warped
patterns in his life
And
blind in many ways
No
love in his heart
A
troubled soul
An
empty shell
No
peace for him
What
harm he does
Hurting
countless others
Perhaps
he’ll pay
For
his many deeds
Beware
Women
For
here he comes
Trying
to get
Another
one
Joan
Skiver-Levy ©
6/5/04
Still
Life in Pastels #1©
Pastel
Finished
size 24 X 30
$1,200.00
Framed
in black mat and black
metal
frame with plexiglass
See
terms on Page 1
Still
Life in Pastels #2©
Pastel
Finished
size 24 X 30
$1,200.00
Framed
in black mat and black
metal
frame with plexiglass
Young
Man
Ink
9
x 12
$100.00
Framed
in black/white mat and
Silver
metal frame with plexiglass
Young
Man
Ink
Larger
$125.00
Framed
in black/white mat and
Silver
metal frame with plexiglass
Landscape
Oil
On Paper
16
x16
$225.00
Framed
in black mat and black
metal
frame with plexiglass
Still
Life
Oil
On Paper
16
x16
$200.00
Framed
in black mat and black
metal
frame with plexiglass
Self
Portrait Minus 30 Years and 9 Operations Acrylic Not For Sale
Joy
or Sorrow?
We
make up our own life
By
the choices we take
Are
they happy choices?
For
others or ourselves?
Should
we love what we do?
Do
we have commitment?
To
ourselves or to others?
What
do we owe ourselves?
Love,
integrity, productivity?
Inquisitiveness
about life?
Discovering
our talents?
Teaching
and sharing?
How
do we treat ourselves?
Are
we proud of ourselves?
Do
we really listen when others
talk?
Do
we really listen with our
brain?
Or
do we choose to hear?
Just
certain things?
Are
we awake to the joy in life?
Or
are we putting ourselves
in sorrow?
Do
we have choices to make?
Do
we let others choose for
us?
What
choice will you make?
Joy
or Sorrow?
Joan
Skiver-Levy ©
2/24/04
.
.....Biography
of Joan Skiver-Levy
Joan Skiver-Levy is a 73 year old award winning artist of West Frankfort, Illinois and is a native Southern Illinoisan who has returned home after many years in the Chicago area. She found her considerable artistic talents after she brought up her family. From the time she was a little girl she wanted to be an artist. Joan is now living her dream. She lately has become a poet and a vocalist and sings love songs or jazz at her local coffee house every Friday at lunch time. Finally, at this age realizes that artistic abilities cross over into many aspects of life. She is considered an excellent cook, baker and seamstress. It is her belief that the only limits we have are the ones we put on ourselves. Joan says much of women’s lives have been spent taking care of others, from mates to children to parents and many women never had the opportunity to discover these gift as they put every one else first. She is willing to make a fool of herself to discover things about her, life, and its many wonders. Joan works to leave this world a better place to live in and invites you to do the same. She works to leave some thing behind. Her thoughts are, when we are all gone all that will be left behind of our time is the visual arts, music and writing that we now do. Joan gives you this challenge. You discover your hidden talents and abilities no matter what your age, as we all have some.
Education: Class, 2 years with Artist Helen Van Tempera, Northbrook, Illinois. Class, 3 years with Professor Michael Elvestrom, former Art Chairman. Class, 1 year, with Julia Pfeiffer, Art Chairman, both of Southeastern Illinois College, Harrisburg, Illinois, Class, 1 year, Rend Lake College, Ina, Illinois. Class 2 years, study with Rene Mavigliano, John A. Logan, Carterville, Illinois. Several times Joan attended art camp at the Southern Illinois Art Workshops, Inc. De Bois, Illinois and Pinckneyville, Illinois. She credits Michael Elvestrom for suggesting and encouraging her to paint larger than life. She feels it was a big step into a wonderful art experience and she continues to enjoy painting large very much. She presented a large painting measuring 6’ x 8’ titled “The Late Great Planet Grapes” to Southeastern Illinois College (at her professor’s request.) The painting, which has about one-half bunch of grapes that are the size of basketballs, is now part of the permanent art collection of the college and hangs in the hallway. This is the painting was also shown at the Mitchell Museum in Mt. Vernon, Illinois
She has won numerous awards, such as blue ribbons at the Saline County Fair, Best of Show at Ridgeway Popcorn Days and Equality Salt Festival, and many blue ribbons at different places. Joan was given, Best of The Class and Best of the Show for a photo of her late husband, Earl at the Du Quoin State Fair and the same photo was picked to travel to Disney Land for a special exhibition. She won first place in a competition for a painting of Burnett’s Bank in Eldorado, Illinois, determined by popular vote. Another one of her painting is titled “Les Pepper” and it was selected to be shown for the “Celebrate Southern Illinois” exhibit at John A. Logan. The same painting was also chosen to be in the traveling exhibit to be shown throughout the state. She placed third in 2003 in the mixed media art show of over 125 entries at the John A. Logan Spring Show, for a painting in acrylic of rocks. She placed second in 2004 mixed media art show of over 115 entries at John A. Logan Spring Show, for a water color of Turning Bell Peppers.
Gallery
representation: The Aspen Gallery,
Arizona, White Dove, Arizona, Art Lovers Trading Company in Carbondale,
Illinois and on line with Boundless Gallery, Carbondale, Illinois, at:
www.boundlessgallery.com. She also has her own web page at:
www.joanskiverlevy.com.
This busy lady has more interests than her artistic work, however. Before she and her late husband moved here following his retirement from the Skokie Fire Department, she gained considerable renown for her work on the subject of diet as a control for hyperactive and/or learning disabled children. She formed a statewide group to help other parents of disabled children, and this became part of a network across the United States. In connection with this work, she appeared on the Phil Donahue show twice and on the Lee Phillips Television Show in Chicago as well as a few Chicago radio shows. She has lectured extensively on the subject. It is estimated that she reached 80 million people during her work in this field. Following her first appearance on the Donahue show she received 35,000 letters.
Joan still loves to bake probably due to cooking and baking all naturally for her son Russell. A few years ago in a borrowed kitchen at Pierce Hospital in Eldorado, IL, she made and baked an eight-pound loaf of challah, Jewish egg bread. By the way, this large loaf took the same amount of time to bake as her regular-sized loaf of bread. When it came out of the oven and while still warm, it was torn apart and put on the patient’s dinner trays that day and the rest was devoured by the kitchen staff with butter, cream cheese and jam, which, she says, all happened to be natural.
Joan now does in client home computer tutoring as a sideline business. She lately added another overwhelming task to her history of: writing a legal brief to assist her now totally disabled son. The Appellate Court in Chicago accepted the brief. Many people helped her, and she will be eternally grateful, especially Harris Mosley at the John A. Logan’s writing center.
Group Shows:
· The Mitchell Museum in
Mt. Vernon,
IL, 1982
· “Celebrate Southern
Illinois” exhibit
at John A. Logan College, Carterville, IL 1983
· Tenth Biennial Arts in
Celebration
Exhibition ‘Looking at Southern Illinois’, Fanner Hall Museum, SIU,
Carbondale,
IL, 2006
One woman
exhibitions at:
· Longbranch Coffee House
in Carbondale,
IL, 2004
· Mungo’s Jerry’s Coffee
House in Murphysboro,
IL, 2005
· The Buzz in Benton, IL,
2005
· Common Grounds Coffee
House, Carbondale,
IL 2006
· Dunn Richmond Center, SIU
Carbondale,
IL, March and April, 2006
· Longbranch Coffeehouse,
Carbondale,
IL, 2006
· Perk Place Coffee House,
West Frankfort,
IL,2006
· Carbondale Civic Center,
Carbondale,
IL, 2006
· Southeastern Illinois
College, Harrisburg,
IL,2006/2007
· Southern Illinois
University, Carbondale,
IL. The University Museum, Faner Hall, Art Atrium, August 20 through
October
26, 2007. Reception September 7th – 4- 7 with piano by Mary Ann Barnett.
TERMS
Shipping
and insurance is included.
Money
Order or personal check
will
be
accepted. I will wait
till check
clears
before shipping
...........Contact information
......................................................
......
Phone 618-937-3070 ......If
you would like to contact Joan, by eMail.
Please
click on the little boy!
From, Tony Johansen www.tonyjohansen.com
"I think your art is like your personality - direct, to the point, friendly, all good stuff."
Hope
your day is wonderful Tony
I
believe that your work is strong,
inventive, and vibrant. It seems you take pleasure in those large
images
of bright colored objects...which could be "fruit" or
"vegetables."
Your works are more than illustrative as they are painterly and
personal...that
is a big difference.
Professor
Michael David Elvestrom.
Joan's Favorite Links
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