Jill Joy - Artist's Statement

My art is an expression of the unseen worlds of spiritual and emotional energy and their interplay as the individual soul evolves towards a higher state of consciousness.

As a very young child, I was keenly aware of the paradox of death. By my early twenties, enlightenment was a stated goal of mine. All of my work is a record of the evolution of my consciousness. The laboratory available to me in this study is that of my own emotions, mind and spirit.

My personal growth and spiritual evolution inspire my work as does my proximity to the ocean and especially the horizon. Lately I’ve been finding more and more connection between the inner and outer world as I dissolve the boundaries of my ego. I am at heart a mystic; my work is spiritual and emotional experience made material.

Each body of work on this website is an investigation into this transformation: From my earliest work, The Soul of Memory, through my most recent, Illumination. A series specific statement is included on the web page for each series and gives more detail about the specific exploration undertaken by each group of paintings.

For the last 10 years, I have worked on a series trifecta which includes Emotion, Consciousness and Illumination. I work on these concurrently as the inspiration and spiritual or emotional need arises. Metaphorically these three bodies of work represent the evolution of the soul through the three aspects of existence: the body (Emotion), the mind (Consciousness) and spirit (Illumination). As human beings we work with and evolve these three aspects our ourselves to achieve our full potential as compassionate, divine beings who generate peace.