About The Artist

My fondness for watercolor comes from its fluidity and ability to surprise-even the artist. Complete control with watercolor is very difficult. For me, complete control would still the art and stop the fun. I put down water, watch the paint flow and take pleasure in the process. I enjoy expressing myself through watercolor, because I have no fears about what the paint might do on the paper-where it might go, boundaries it might cross, as well as borders that may form and intrude. My paintings are to be enjoyed and celebrated for the pleasure involved in their creation in the hope that pleasure can be passed on to others. My work has been shown in galleries, appeared in magazines, and is in the homes of art collectors around the world. To see clothing created from my art please click on https://www.art-a-porter.com/en/joyce.ann.burton-sousa; for my watercolor website click on https://www.jabsart.com. I hold the Masters Degree in Psychology and have many years of professional experience in counseling and mental health centers, schools, a treatment center for male adolescents, the Correctional Center at Urbana (IL), a women's prison, alternatives to violence counseling in schools, as well as private practice. I have given workshops on anger, stress, anger between parent and child, domestic violence, self-esteem, criminality and irresponsible behavior, substance abuse, suicide risk, and general mental health and has written several articles on these topics and co-authored two books. I have designed programs for a variety of populations including parents, adolescents, college students, both perpetrators and victims of domestic violence, general offenders, and both men and women who are homeless and/or in transition and written the curricula and created the materials for those programs. My recent life as an artist began around 2003. I had always had a yearning for watercolors and pottery. I am lucky enough to have been able to do both. I spent most of that creative time in Asheville NC. In 2017 I moved to Washington DC. Here I have let pottery go and focused on watercolors. Since arriving I have taken several courses at Washington Studio Art School. Apart from that I am self-taught. Events: I have held multiple events in Asheville, NC. There have been art walks in the downtown as well as events at my own small shop. Exhibitions: While in Asheville I participated in several exhibits. Most notably I was featured by the Asheville Area Arts Council as well as several of the galleries that sold my paintings and pottery. Please enjoy your visit. You can reach me at joyce@jabsart.com.