Today we’d like to introduce you to Joy Tappen.
Hi Joy , we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
My art is an exciting second act for me, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to share it with you.
My grade six teacher, Miss Crossley, was an inspiring woman who introduced me to, among other things, the fascinating hobby of bird watching. After that year I moved to a new province, and birding became not just an interesting diversion, but a way for me to acclimate to a new place and start setting down roots. For each subsequent move, and there have been quite a few (three provinces and five states), friends of the feathered variety have been some of the first to welcome me and help me feel at home.
I have also always been a maker, working with all sorts of materials, from wood to glass to textiles and fiber. Although I trained as a physician and spent a couple of decades raising my four kids, these interests have always been a part of my life.
When I came across the work of Chris Maynard at a museum show in my town in 2017, I was immediately drawn to both the subject matter and the unique medium of carved feathers. I was inspired by his story – the science background, the second act as an artist – and also felt a tie to my own cultural heritage of cut paper art. About five years ago, during the pandemic, I reached out to him with an offer to help him in his studio, and he took me on as an apprentice. I started with prepping and carving feathers, and helped him with framing and installations. Chris encouraged my own creativity and generously shared his materials and methods. I began creating my own artwork a couple of years ago, and am planning future collaborations with my mentor. Now that my youngest is graduating high school, I’m spending more time on my art, and it has been so rewarding to combine my creativity and dexterity with inspiration from the natural world.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I’ve been fortunate to meet with such a generous mentor who has been so encouraging, which has certainly smoothed the path. Without a prior educational or professional background in art, it has been a learning process for me to figure out how to get my art recognized and seen, and to reach my potential audience. But I think the greatest challenge for me has been internal: having the confidence to prioritize and center art, when it is so easy for other obligations to take up all my time. So carving out (pun intended!) the space and time in my life for creativity has been something I am learning to do.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I use ethically sourced, legal-to-possess feathers as a canvas for telling stories of the avian world. I use surgical scalpels and similar tools to carve these feathers into intricate depictions of bird life. These feathers are mounted on entomology pins within shadow boxes to highlight their dimensionality and give them a sense of movement. This medium was pioneered and developed by my mentor, Chris Maynard. While our work is similar in many respects, I really enjoy pushing the limits of detail and intricacy that the medium will sustain, and I currently draw my inspiration primarily from my own observations in nature. Thus I have evolved my own style and aesthetic in this medium that we share.
Although I am based in the Pacific Northwest, The Zebra Gallery in Easton Maryland is currently showing several of my pieces. I hope you are able to visit and see them in person; art, and especially materials from the natural world, are so much better appreciated in person than seen through a screen or even on the printed page. I am also a member of Artists for Conservation, the world’s leading artist group supporting the environment: a portion of all sales is donated to organizations involved in wildlife and habitat conservation.
How do you think about happiness?
So many things! I was aptly named. I derive a keen sense of joy from being in and observing the natural world. Being out of doors hiking, camping, kayaking, biking, and birding are some of my favorite ways to spend time with my family and friends. Creating also makes me happy – especially when I see people enjoying the results of my work, whether it is a nourishing meal, a beautiful garment, or an inspiring artwork. I love the meditative, slow-work nature of many of the things that I create, particularly as a counterbalance to the ever increasing pace of the world. I take special delight in resourcefulness, repurposing, and being environmentally conscious.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.joytappen.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joytappenstudio
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Joy-Tappen-Studio/61590134446089/
- Other: https://www.thezebragallery.com/joytappen
