The art of Joan Blackshear

"My focus is to enhance lives by creating designs of beautiful color and composition, while maintaining impeccable quality of product.  I hope to bring about a sense of inner harmony and celebration to individual lifestyles through my work."

Joan Blackshear’s hand painted textiles feature an artistic blend of stylized Asian and Contemporary influence from Nature’s patterns, colors, and textures, resulting in a sense of elegant simplicity and unique individuality.

Born on Hawaii Island, Joan Shipman Blackshear has an island family history dating back four generations.; "I have always been inspired by the exotic and colorful floral influence surrounding me. My great aunts would bring silks back from Asia, and as a young child I was in awe of the unusual colors and exotic patterns. I was also inspired by my mother, who had an Asian flair in both fashion and home décor. I knew early on that my work would one day be influenced by those special memories."

Joan began experimenting with silk painting in 1984 and immediately knew this to be her 'niche'. She designed a geometric, floral, and Asian inspired silk and leather belt collection, which sold out in a two-day trunk show at Neiman Marcus, Beverly Hills. Next came a 50-piece silk scarf collection featuring Southwestern and Southseas influenced designs. After working fifteen years in the L.A. fashion industry, she hired a sales representative to handle the line, and moved back to Hawaii in 1987, where she found exotic flora and fauna most inspirational. Later that year she met her husband, businessman and artist Jim Leech, and the two discovered their artistic and business values blended well.

In the late 1990s, Joan designed a collection of hand painted silk Home Décor products, featuring Wall Hangings and Table Runners for home and office. This has become the focal point of her work. Collected by many, the line has been displayed and sold at numerous fine galleries, museum stores, and gift shops throughout the United States, including The Los Angeles County Museum of Art and Honolulu Academy of Arts. With exciting new patterns and palettes on combinations of silk, linen, palm fiber, and more, Joan Blackshear creates an eclectic and richly visual feast for the eyes, spirit, and soul.

Joan Blackshear - Slideshow

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Chrysanthemum Runner
Silk and Mixed Media
All Original Runners priced from $71 - $159
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Gingko Runner
Silk and Mixed Media
All Original Runners priced from $71 - $159
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Honu Runner
Silk and Mixed Media
All Original Runners priced from $71 - $159
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Koi Hanging
Silk and Mixed Media
All Original Hangings from $179 - $220
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Monstera Runner
Silk and Mixed Media
All Original Runners priced from $71 - $159
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Petroglyph Hanging
Silk and Mixed Media
All Original Hangings from $179 - $220
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Primitive Hanging
Silk and Mixed Media
All Original Hangings from $179 - $220
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Bamboo Hanging Wide
Silk and Mixed Media
All Original Hangings from $179 - $220
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Koi Hanging Wide
Silk and Mixed Media
All Original Hangings from $179 - $220
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Waterlily Runner
Silk and Mixed Media
All Original Runners priced from $71 - $159
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Bamboo Hanging
Silk and Mixed Media
All Original Hangings from $179 - $220
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Bamboo Runner
Silk and Mixed Media
All Original Runners priced from $71 - $159
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Bird of Paradise Runner
Silk and Mixed Media
All Original Runners priced from $71 - $159
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Fern Runner
Silk and Mixed Media
All Original Runners priced from $71 - $159
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Flowers on Fans Hanging
Silk and Mixed Media
All Original Hangings from $179 - $220
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