Front Yard Daylily, Astilbe, Hosta Painting

Joy Makon is a passionate observer of color and light; she explores the relationships of watercolor paint, heavy paper and contemporary reality. Her paintings are based on observations of daily life through landscapes and seascapes, often with figures incorporated into the composition. Subjects come from neighborhoods in NYC, and from travels domestically and abroad. Makon employs classic drawing and watercolor techniques in her paintings; for example, she uses the white of the paper rather than white paint, to convey the strong sense of light that is so evident in her work. It is her unique approach to subject, composition, point-of-view that makes her work anything but traditional. Joy Makon has a BFA in graphic design and photography from Tyler School of Art, Philadelphia, where she studied with John Moore, Stanislaw Zagorski and Joseph Scorsone. Her work has been shown in juried and gallery shows and can be found in private collections throughout the U.S. Makon has been recognized by the Art Directors Club, Society of Publication Designers, Society of Illustrators, for her work as a magazine art director. Joy is a member of artist-run 440 Gallery in Brooklyn. She lives and works in Brooklyn, NY.