Finding Beauty in Nature’s Overlooked Corners | Joann Renner

For our Women In Arts Network series, we had the opportunity to speak with painter and writer Joann Renner, whose journey through life and art has been shaped by resilience, curiosity, and a commitment to engaging with the world around her. In this conversation, she opens up about growing up between the boardwalks of New Jersey and the rolling landscapes of Pennsylvania, the early pastel lessons that sparked her love for creating, and how those early influences continue to guide her work today.

Joann takes us inside her process, from tackling the inevitable “ugly” stage of a painting to knowing when a piece has found its footing. She talks candidly about the challenges of balancing family responsibilities with a creative career, and the importance of carving out space both physically and mentally for making work. She also shares her hopes for how her paintings might encourage people to notice overlooked spaces, care for their environment, and see the connections between communities and the places they inhabit.

Through her stories, we learn how she uses her chosen mediums of oils and pastels not only to capture her subjects but to explore ideas around climate change, women’s spirituality, and community history. Most importantly, she offers practical encouragement for aspiring artists: keep learning, stay curious, and don’t let perfectionism hold you back.

Joann Renner is a formally trained fine artist and content writer who has overcome trauma and medical issues by “grabbing the bull by the horns”, refusing to give up on herself and her passions. She seeks to inspire others to go fearlessly forward regardless of their circumstances, so that they are encouraged to thrive on their unique paths and bring awareness to the impact of climate change issues. Her primary work is in Expressionist/Surrealist painting, using themes of looking for our unseen connections, a sense of experience and place, while exploring forgotten or overlooked spaces. Joann is deeply passionate about helping others connect with their resilience by exploring environmental issues, women’s spirituality, and community legacy.

Published artist, author, and current member of the Pittsburgh Pastel Artists League. The Professional Artist Association and the Art Queens Society. During the late 1960s-70s, she grew up in York, PA and Seaside Heights, NJ alternately. She earned her BA in Studio Art/Fine Art at the University of Pittsburgh, PA, in 1986. She has had four solo exhibitions and participated in numerous juried and non-juried group exhibitions, including virtual exhibitions. She is a current member of the Pittsburgh Pastel Artists League and The Art Queens Society. Most recently, she is a featured artist in “Art and Woman”, a hardbound collector’s book curated and published by the Arts to Hearts Project, an international arts organisation for women artists.

1. How did you get started in your art career?

I’m originally from York, PA and Seaside Heights, NJ, depending on the time of year. Growing up on the boardwalk, collecting shells, and watching the constantly changing vastness of the ocean gave me a deep appreciation for nature and the climate. It was there that, as a child, I met a pastel portraitist, Rhoda Shapiro, who gave me my first art lessons, continuing into my teen years. My love of pastels has continued since. I earned my BA in Studio Art/Fine Art from the University of Pittsburgh in 1986, concentrating in oil painting. Oils and pastels are my preferred mediums. I never stopped painting since then.

Every painting has an ugly stage, where it’s just not ready to be seen by anyone and doubt can set in, but then as I work, I can tell if it’s starting to pull together.

Joann Renner

2. When you’re creating something new, what makes you pause and say, This is working?

I try not to have too many preconceived notions about the outcome when I start a new project. I do some thumbnail sketches, or sometimes I’ll dive right in to keep some spontaneity in the process. Every painting has an “ugly” stage, where it’s not yet ready for public view, and doubt can creep in. However, as I work, I can tell if it’s starting to come together. If not, that’s a good place to make modifications. The key is to avoid letting perfectionism creep in, as it can kill creativity and joy.

3. How do you balance your personal life with your art career?

That’s a tough one in lots of ways! I grew up in a traditional home with traditional expectations. I always considered myself a nonconformist, but society puts up formidable barriers that prevent women from achieving the independence necessary to achieve their dreams. Even though I graduated from art school, the assumption was that the female students were only looking for marriage prospects, not careers. So I did marry and raise a family, but art kept tugging at me. As a mom, I found it tough to find time and energy to create. Now that my kids are adults, they are fully supportive of my work.

Setting loving boundaries has been the best tool for me to carve out time for creating. I now have a dedicated studio space where I go, which makes it easier, and it is respected as my space. It took nearly 30 years for my husband to accept my need for independent time. As for household responsibilities, I set flexible blocks of time for specific tasks to ensure some studio time. It also helps that I consider time spent thinking about art, issues affecting my creative practice, and the art business end of things to be acceptable, as they are just as crucial as actual creative time.

4. How do you envision the future of your art and its impact on the world?

I hope that my work will help people engage with their surroundings in a fresh, new way. By looking at forgotten and overlooked spaces that we tend to ignore in our day-to-day routines, we can reconnect with nature and ourselves. When we appreciate our surroundings, we can be better stewards of the Earth, our communities, and ourselves. Even community identity is based on our connections to our surroundings, like historical buildings that are often lost during gentrification or war, and can lead to displacement, even loss of culture and individual identity.

Keep learning and embrace creativity in any form possible whether it’s cooking, painting, jewelry-making, gardening, even just decorating your space.

Joann Renner

5. What mediums and techniques do you primarily work with?

I prefer oils and pastels for my main body of work, but I do like to experiment with acrylics and collage for fun. Oils have a vibrancy and richness that doesn’t feel “plastic” to me. It’s a joy to have the creative time to work with each layer, as they don’t dry quickly. I do use non-yellowing Liquin by Winsor & Newton to help speed the drying time, making oils easier to work with than traditional mediums. Soft pastels give an immediacy to making marks and are incredibly versatile for loose work to excellent detail. They’re wonderful for plein air painting too!

6. Do you have any parting words of wisdom for our readers or aspiring artists?

Keep learning and embrace creativity in any form possible, whether it’s cooking, painting, jewellery-making, gardening, or even just decorating your space. Dump perfectionism, it’s the enemy of creativity. Every person has a unique set of skills, experiences, and stories that only they can tell. We are each on our paths. Another artist you admire may be further along in their career, so with consistent effort, your path will help you reach your goals as well. Everybody has to start at the beginning.

Joann Renner’s work brings together her lifelong connection to nature, her concern for environmental issues, and her interest in preserving the sense of place within communities. Through oils and pastels, she captures overlooked spaces and moments that invite us to slow down and pay attention to what is around us.

From her journey, we learn the value of persistence in pursuing a creative path, the importance of making room for our passions despite life’s demands, and the impact that noticing our surroundings can have on how we care for the world. Her story shows that resilience, curiosity, and steady effort can shape not only a career but also the way we see and interact with our environment.

To learn more about Joann, visit the links below.