Joan Mitchell Paints a Symphony
La Grande Vallée Suite
Lisa Rogers
- Celebrate
- the
- creative
- process
- of
- pioneering
- American
- abstract
- painter
- Joan
- Mitchell
- in
- this
- beautifully
- illustrated
- STEAM
- picture
- book,
- perfect
- for
- all
- kinds
- of
- young
- creators.It’s
- 1983,
- and
- American
- artist
- Joan
- Mitchell
- is
- in
- her
- studio
- outside
- Paris,
- transforming
- her
- emotions
- and
- memories
- into
- a
- symphony
- of
- colors
- and
- shapes.
- Inspired
- by
- her
- friend’s
- description
- of
- an
- idyllic
- hidden
- valley
- in
- France,
- Mitchell
- creates
- 21
- massive
- paintings—her
- Grande
- Vallée
- series
- —bursting
- with
- vibrant,
- energizing
- hues.
- But
- she
- doesn’t
- paint
- the
- valley’s
- flowers
- and
- meadows.
- She
- paints
- a
- feeling
- about
- them—abundance,
- freedom,
- liveliness—creating
- a
- harmonious
- blend
- of
- drips,
- splashes,
- and
- brushstrokes
- in
- rainbow
- colors.
- When
- the
- paint
- dries,
- it's
- time
- to
- share
- her
- valley
- with
- the
- world.This
- inspiring,
- poetic
- picture
- book
- about
- an
- influential
- yet
- lesser-known
- American
- artist
- provides
- a
- snapshot
- of
- a
- creator
- who
- deserves
- as
- much
- acclaim
- as
- better-known
- Abstract
- Expressionists
- like
- Jackson
- Pollock
- or
- Willem
- de
- Kooning.
- Author
- Lisa
- Rogers
- shares
- both
- the
- despair
- and
- delight
- Mitchell
- experienced
- throughout
- her
- career,
- while
- acclaimed
- illustrator
- Stacy
- Innerst’s
- bright
- artwork
- captures
- the
- movement
- and
- energy
- of
- Mitchell’s
- work,
- as
- her
- paintings
- develop
- from
- page
- to page.
