Q/A: Palm Desert Artist Returns To La Quinta Arts Festival

With the La Quinta Arts Festival in full swing, Palm Desert Patch stopped by to speak with artist Joanne Casey, a long-time South Palm Desert resident.

Palm Desert Patch: How do you make your pieces?

Joanne Casey: The technique is hand-made paper collage. I make paper and I use handmade papers from Asia. So the paper I am using has really interesting fiber and texture in it, and then I am painting it with acrylics and layering it to make my different designs. I am doing landscapes, completely non-objective pieces, as well as fingertip pieces. 

Palm Desert Patch: Now, this is not a desert scene here. What is your inspiration?

Joanne Casey: From nature, all around us. I love to be out in nature. If I'm not making art, I'm out hiking and bird watching. So I love to be out in nature. I like to work with the papers too because they are natural plant materials. I feel very connected to nature when I am making my art.

Palm Desert Patch: Can you walk me through some of your favorites? If you can. I know it is like picking your favorite child.

Joanne Casey: (Laughs) Of my styles, these are my landscape pieces and these bright colorful ones are very popular ... This is my newest style. I'm doing lots of layering and texturing. Some of my most popular pieces are what I call the "Best Friends." Everyone has a group of girlfriends or sisters that they can relate to. I do them in a variety of different sizes.

Palm Desert Patch: Not too many local artists made it into this festival. Tell me what it is like to be here.

Joanne Casey: We love it. It is the best festival in the desert and it is the No. 2 in the nation. The setting is beautiful. The people running it do a fabulous job of promoting the arts and the art show and getting the art buyers out to support the arts. We love being here and it is very much an honor to be chosen to be in it.

Learn more about the artist at joannecaseyartworks.com.