Josephine D Coyle

I believe all manifestations of art are landmarks in the progress of the human spirit as each painting reveals something of the artist and of our world/universe.

When I paint I enter into a spiritual covenant with God.... the resultant spiritual/visionary art is  thought provoking and sparks a consciousness shift. We are all more than our physical bodies and an awareness of our spirituality is globally needed.

Using a new medium, oil pastel, I decided to do flowers; their vibrancy of colours seemed a good match for oil pastel.  In the process I focused even closer seeing more subtle colours, surface variations - another world!  So a series emerged and one, I hope, that will create a desire to stop and see the flowers in our fast paced world.

I ask myself - What is it I am endeavouring to say in my art? Hopefully it will speak for itself with each viewer taking something a little different from the same painting.

Condensed Biography

Josephine might well have been considered a child prodigy as the gift of art emerged at the age of 4.  Growing up the message was often transmitted that art was not a viable career choice.  However the prevalence of the gift and call to express was ever present.

In the sixties, in Florida, she commenced working in marine biology, coral reef ecology, collecting and cataloging fish, underwater still photography and filming.  Josephine had photographs and article in National Geographic Magazine (see Nat.Geo. 1966, 1972 issues - Jo D.Starck).  Detailed pen and ink drawings of fish collected were done and published.  During her years of diving and marine collecting she found new species of fish, mollusk and flora and has a new species of fish named after her.

Finally acknowledging and using her God given gift of art Josephine turned her attention to creating detailed pen and ink of animal life.  This progressed into oil painting and sculpture.  She began exhibiting in 1984 and had her first one woman show in 1989.

From 1989 to 1999 Josephine executed a series entitled "How a Woman Feels when...." symbolic images of women's life experiences on the physical, mental and spiritual planes.  One image, "How a Woman Feels when Liberated" was selected by NCADV (National Coalition Against Domestic Violence) printed as a card and made available nationally.  Another painting "Winged Hands of the Deaf" was released as a limited edition print/poster by the Hearing and Speech Agency of Baltimore, MD.

During the years 2001 to 2008 she created large scale murals, scenic backdrops for plays, children's programmes and women's conferences, did commissioned paintings and led drawing classes for children.

Since 2008 she has produced a series of macro flower images in oil pastel which vibrate with brilliancy of colour and life.  Josephine continues to create spiritual/visionary works in oils and acrylics which are thought provoking and thereby invite the viewer to venture inward.  These images, she hopes, will help lead to transformation  of the world as it begins at the level of one's own heart.

Australian born, Josephine is now a United States citizen and resides in California.

A selection of Josephine's work is in the National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington D.C. archives.

EXHIBITIONS AND SHOWS

1984       Bear Valley Art Association, Big Bear, California

1986       Bear Valley Art Association, Big Bear, California

1987       San Bernardino Valley College Art Show, San Bernardino, CA

1988       North Country Artists Guild, Watertown, NY

1988       North Country Regional Art Show, Potsdam University, Friends
              of Gibson Gallery, Potsdam,NY

1988       Central Adirondack Art Show, Old Forge, NY

1988       Oswego County Fair, Sandy Creek, NY

1989       One Woman Show at North Country Bank, Watertown, NY

1989       One Woman Show at Friends of Gibson Gallery, Potsdam University
              at Uncle Max’s, Potsdam, NY

1991       Delaplaine Visual Arts Center, Frederick, MD

1992       Delaplaine Visual Arts Center, Frederick, MD

1992       One Woman Show at Bon Secours Spiritual Center, Marriottsville, MD
              for The Emerging Women, Inc

1993       MNADV (Maryland Network Against Domestic Violence) at State
              Building, Annapolis, MD

1993       One Woman Show at Unity-Universalist Fellowship of Frederick, MD
              for Survivors United

1994       One Woman Show at Bon Secours Spiritual Center, Marriottsville, MD
              for The Emerging Women, Inc

1994       One Woman Show  at Calvin Edward Gallery, Frederick, MD

1994       Design created/printed for T-Shirt Women’s Conference

1994       Poster printed, and distributed nationally, of oil painting “Winged
              Hands of the Deaf” by The Hearing and Speech Agency ,Baltimore,MD

1994      Pen and Ink Poster for Women’s Conference - based on book
             “Women Who Run With Wolves” by C.Estes

1994       One Woman Show at “Women of Vision” Conference, Leadership for
              a New World, Georgetown University Conference Center, Washington, D.C

1995       Designed card and printed, “Grace” Women’s Conference

1995       DelaplaineVisual Arts Center, juried show, Frederick, MD

1995       Featured artist at “Through The Hands of Women” Art Gallery,
              Baltimore, MD

1996       Oil painting “The Awakening” on cover of “Voices of Women”
              publication Washington, D.C. and Baltimore, MD

1996       Artist in Residence, Ellicott Middle School, Ellicott City, MD

1996       Card printed and distributed nationally of oil painting “How a Woman
              Feels when Liberated” by NCADV (National Coalition Against Domestic Violence)

1997       Delaplaine Visual Arts Center, juried show, Frederick, MD

1997       One Woman Show “Awakening Awareness - A Woman’s Journey”,
              Wilson College, Chambersburg, PA

2000       “Women with Attitude” Show, The Jega Gallery, Ashland, OR

2001- to    Drawing classes given,  murals and art projects with children,

2009        completed commissioned paintings and murals, backdrops for
               children’s programmes, women’s conferences and  scenery for plays

2010       At NCCC, Spring Fine Arts Exhibit, Carlsbad, CA