I love drawing, particularly with ink as its fluidity is connected to painting. During the lockdown in the spring of 2020, I spent most of my time working on my kitchen table using walnut ink or India ink as my medium and using either houseplants or working from my backyard for the subject matter. It was a lot of fun and I was pleased with the results. This has lead me into exploring the calligraphic aspects of drawing with that of painting, something that has shown up in my work over the years.  

As a young child I seemed to have spent a lot of my time hiding behind bushes, trees or discovering hidden underground huts where I could hide out. My first foray into using memory only without relying on something I am actually looking at is this painting called "Falling Light." Falling Light isn't about hiding behind or under things but instead is a memory of what it was like when I was waiting to fall asleep-where I would wait until two things happened, the first was when my hands started to blend with the sheet so I could no longer distinguish myself from the sheet, and then I would experience these wonderful colored lights that fell down from the ceiling covering me in a feeling of serenity. Below is "Falling Light," 30" x 30," oil on canvas, c2021.

I happen to have a wonderful studio in San Anselmo that I love. One of its features are two windows which overlooks the most beautiful sweet gum tree. Besides providing shade, it is enchanting during all seasons bringing a serenity to the studio. I've used this tree in a variety of ways as subjects for my paintings. Here's the most recent rendition-it's 36" x 24," oil on canvas, and semi-abstract. I've titled it "Orange new day." One day I was working on this piece and I happened to be wearing an orange jacket that was accidental, but who knows, maybe the painting had worked it's way into my wardrobe. 

I just looked at the title of this blog and had to laugh. It sounds an awful like "three kittens found a new home," something that you might find on the humane society's webpage when browsing through to see if you're ready to adopt a new kitten. But, that's what happened, two weeks ago at my studio building's fall open studio, three of my older landscapes found one new home. I'm grateful and thrilled. 

If you're looking to purchase a painting or drawing for yourself, or for someone you love, please don't hesitate to reach out to me. If you live close by, you can make an individual studio visit or if you live far away and are interested in purchasing, you can buy through PayPal right here on my website at www.juneyokell.com. Have any questions, please write to me at [email protected]. 

The three paintings that were sold are: "Into the Kingdom," 36"x 60," "Pink Marsh, 36" x 36," and "Berries, Hills and Sky," 40" x 30."