PRESS ROOM

The following are articles and interviews about Joelle Steele, the most recent ones first.

The Evolution of an Artist (unpublished, 2010)
Joelle Steele Relocates and Moves into a New World of Painting Experiences

by Barbara Cabot

Whatever I paint is my own style, or it's a derivative of a style I've done previously which is, again, my own style. ... I don't want or need to be labeled as working in a specific style. - Joelle Steele

I interviewed Joelle Steele twice while she was living in California, and this phone interview was conducted in March 2010, four years after her relocation to Washington state.

Barbara Cabot: When we last spoke early in 2005 you were planning a move from California to Washington. How have things changed since that move?
Joelle Steele: Well, I'm near family now. I'm in a much bigger house, in a nicer and quieter forested neighborhood. I have more opportunities for teaching. I have a lot more room for painting, and I'm far more inspired creatively than I've ever been.
BC: So what kinds of projects have you been working on?
JS: I finished some books I'd been writing. I started teaching adult ed again — five different but related subjects in Saturday workshops at several colleges. And, most importantly, I've been spending more time on my art — my primary focus these days.
BC: I see that you are working on the alien worlds abstract series we spoke about previously.
JS: Yes, that's my Urania series. They were in my sketch books for almost 20 years, and now they're finally coming to life. I've finished several and have more in various stages of completion.
BC: How would you characterize the Urania series? These are very unique images. Were there any artistic influences that led to that particular style?
JS: I think of it as contemporary abstract. No direct influence from any artist I can think of. I envisioned these works in my dreams.
BC: You said in a previous interview that there was no message behind your work. Has that changed?
JS: No, not really. I won't say I've never done art that contains a message but, for the most part, I don't paint with a message. For me, the visual arts are just way too subjective for that. When I want to convey a message, I prefer to use writing. I think it's a far more effective communication tool.
BC: That seems to go against the tradition of abstract art.
JS: Yes, it probably does. But an artist can pour out their heart and soul onto a canvas in an attempt to make a statement about some loss or tragedy, or to make a social statement or whatever. But a person who sees that painting might just as easily see an image that reminds them of a really fantastic trip they took to Morocco. So I just don't see abstract art as being the most effective means of sending a message.
BC: Are you saying art — or more specifically your own art — is merely form? What about content?
JS: All art has content. My art often has a story behind it. But that's not to say that it means something. As I said, I am portraying the influences of my dreams on canvas, my interest in alien worlds and my love of horticulture. Those make up my content. I leave the rest to others to interpret however they like. And you know they're going to do that anyway, regardless of whether or not I've got a message to convey.
BC: But you have done works with a message — I've seen them. So you must realize that at some time in the future, an art historian may be picking your other work apart, looking for a message behind it?
JS: I assume you are referring to all the ink drawings I did about sterility and brain trauma. I guess I should put those up on my Web site one of these days. Well, not all my work carries those messages or any others. And if I am fortunate enough to have art historians looking at my art some day, they'll have to fabricate a message or two. And that's fine with me. I create art for the joy of creating it and for others to enjoy in whatever way they choose.
BC: It sounds like you're thumbing your nose at the art world.
JS: Not at all. But I don't always agree with what other people say. Doesn't mean I'm the definitive expert on art or the workings of the art world, only that I have an opinion about those things.
BC: Perhaps that means there is a message in your art after all — the message that you do your own thing?
JS: Yes, most definitely. I do and speak as I want, and I fully accept any and all consequences of my words and actions, as well as the manner in which I make my art and fulfill my other creative pursuits. As the saying goes, if you can't take the heat, get out of the kitchen.
BC: And so you paint in series. Where are you on the landscapes?
JS: That's my Hortica series. It's an ongoing series, and I have completed about 20 or so canvases to date. Right now, finishing the Urania series is my first priority. I am also working on a new series of paintings called Rainviews.
BC: The Hortica and Urania series look so different from each other. Is this intentional?
JS: Absolutely. I've never wanted to repeat the same themes over and over again, forever and ever, ad nauseam. So, while I'm in the middle of painting one series, I'm already planning the next one, and the one after that, all different. I'm always on to the next thing.
BC: Do you set a limit of some kind on what you plan to do in any particular series?
JS: No. No limits on anything. I wouldn't even go so far as to say that I'd never re-visit a series in the future and expand on it or add to it.
BC: What about developing your own style?
JS: Well, whatever I paint is my own style, or it's a derivative of a style I've done previously, which is, again, my own style. But, as I said to you some years ago, I don't want or need to be labeled in any way.
BC: Do you consider that a form of rebellion or is it merely evolution as an artist?
JS: I'm pretty rebellious in general but, as far as art is concerned, I don't think I'm rebelling against anything. I do think there's a certain amount of evolution that's intrinsic to the process of creating art over time, and I've been working at creating art for my entire life. It's inevitable that some change and progress will be made along the way. But, mainly I see it as an increasing desire to diversify my art through my own variations of style.
BC: Which must include a lot of experimentation,
JS: I'm not sure if experimentation is the right word. To me, experimentation implies trying something out, testing it to see if it works. And I don't feel like I'm doing that. I feel that I'm merely doing something different, something new, or at least new for me.
BC: So can you characterize your style at all?
JS: I can't sum it up in one word. It's just me, and I'm a highly eclectic person. When I'm working on the Hortica series, it's representational for the most part, with elements of impressionism, naturalism, and romanticism. With the Urania series, it's not entirely representational, but it is composed of dream-originated subject matter, and so that lends a flavor of magic realism to it. But, there's also a great deal of spontaneity, and so expressionism is in there as well.
BC: What is it like for you to be frequently shifting from one media, one format, one genre, or one style to another?
JS: Well, for me, painting is painting, and I paint what and how I want to paint at any given moment in time. It's always been very easy for me to quickly switch gears and go back and forth at a moment's notice from watercolor illustration to acrylic abstracts to pen-and-ink line art or to whatever else I might be creating.
BC: Do you think that has anything to do with your ambidexterity?
JS: I suppose it could. I can paint with either hand, and I'm both left- and right-brained. Maybe that makes me more flexible and adaptable for doing a wider assortment of creative works. It has certainly allowed me to write in just about every conceivable style, and I guess maybe it applies to my art as well.
BC: And maybe to your ultra-high IQ?
JS: Possibly. I've heard some experts say that ambidexterity and the higher IQs often go hand-in-hand.
BC: Does painting with two hands also make your creative process faster?
JS: Sometimes, but not always. I do find that my ambidexterity can be a real convenience at times. I can be almost simultaneously painting with a small brush in one hand and a painting knife in the other. It also enables me to paint with my left hand when I want to see what's to the right of what I'm painting, and vice versa. And, while I can paint anything with either hand, each has its own strengths. My left hand is better with the brush and with washes and fine details, while my right hand is better at the broader strokes, the sponging, and working with painting knives.
BC: Are you working in oils this time around?
JS: No, I left oils behind me a long time ago. There were a lot of things I liked about oils, but I think that acrylics — the polymers — are really a better match for me. I kind of need things to dry faster and, since I paint in my home, I really don't want the smell of oils and turps everywhere. With acrylics, when I need that wetter, more workable canvas, I just keep a spray bottle of water on hand.
BC: What about using retarders?
JS: You know, at one time, I really liked that longer workability time that you get with oils, but I just don't seem to need that much time to rework anymore. I'm always anxious for something to dry — as fast as possible! I do have some glycol retarder on hand for use with acrylics, but I've never had occasion to use it.
BC: What about size? You once painted some rather large pieces.
JS: Well, I definitely have more than enough room to do very large pieces now, but I'm not painting those huge canvases from way-back-when. I do a few small works, 8' x 10' to 16' x 20.' But my average size for everything else is 30' x 40' or somewhere in that neighborhood. And I am working on some larger than that right now.
BC: Are you doing commissioned works again?
JS: I have sold a few things to designers over the years, and I'm certainly open to making that a regular part of my work again. I'm always open to the many possibilities and all the opportunities that come my way.
BC: And you are ever the optimist in that way.
JS: Yes, optimism seems to be one of my life's blessings.

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Freelance Magazine, 2005
The Life of a Writer and Artist
A World of Creativity in Self-Publishing and the Internet

by Barbara Cabot

I now have complete creative control over my own works by self-publishing them and then taking advantage of the Internet as a vehicle for marketing them. - Joelle Steele

I moved to San Francisco in 1999, but I have kept in touch with Joelle Steele over the years. I drove down to visit her at her house in Monterey, California, just a few miles south of the Bay Area. We sat on her patio in the shade of a trio of pine trees, looked out over her garden, and talked again about her art and writing, and her upcoming relocation to Washington state.

Barbara Cabot: You live in a house now. What a change from the tiny studio apartment in Venice Beach.
Joelle Steele: Oh yes. Big change. Even bigger change on the way because I'm moving to Washington state in just a few months.
BC: But isn't Monterey a great artistic inspiration?
JS: Yes, in some ways it is, but it's not the right place for me. I intended to spend the rest of my life here, but instead it has turned out to be a transitional place, and I'm now done here and ready to move on.
BC: So what has been happening over the past 13-1/2 years since we last spoke? What are you creating these days?
JS: Lots of how-to books. Just finished my fourth for the year. It's about how to create a successful Web site and I wrote it for the horticultural industry.
BC: I notice you have a few extensive Web sites yourself.
JS: Yes. I started the first one in 1994, and I just developed it more and more over the years. It is a tremendous creative vehicle for me. I split it into two Web sites, and then spun off a third just recently.
BC: I see you have pages for all your creative pursuits.
JS: Pretty much. I am very drawn to the horticultural stuff, so that's kind of my priority. That and looking for more cover illustration work.
BC: Where do you find the time to do it all?
JS: It's about all I do work-wise. I spend at least five hours every day writing or designing stuff. I've got more software now that helps me creatively.
BC: Do you draw on the computer?
JS: No. I like the feel of traditional drawing and painting tools and materials. The feel of the pen on the paper, the creaminess of the paints. But I have a scanner and image management software, so I can do things for myself and my clients that I could never have done all on my own when we last spoke in 1992.
BC: For example ...
JS: Well, years ago, if I was designing a cover I would paint a picture or take a photo, and then I'd have to find ways to make it look the way I envisioned it, then get the fonts done, then lay it all out manually and have it shot, and it was just a long and tedious process. Now I do it all from start to finish on my computer and it is very fast and easy by comparison. I can even superimpose the typesetting.
BC: Are you still writing poetry?
JS: Of course. I even self-published a book of poems called "A Tapestry of Eden."
BC: Self-publishing appears to be a significant part of what you do these days.
JS: Yes, and I find that the entire process, from writing the books to typesetting them, doing illustrations for them, and even the marketing, is extremely enjoyable and fulfilling. I now have complete creative control over my own works by self-publishing them and then taking advantage of the Internet as a vehicle for marketing them.
BC: How much client work do you do?
JS: Well, I've quit editing and writing for hire, and I'm now focusing mostly on my book sales and illustration and design work.
BC: So how are your book sales?
JS: Well, they were very slow a year ago, but now they are greatly improved. I've been working at boosting my Web site's ranking in the search engines, and that is making me a lot more visible, so sales have gone up considerably.
BC: How many more how-to books are on your list of books to write?
JS: Oh, that list! It has really grown. There are about 160 books on it now, and about 40 of them are in various stages of completion. I just kind of pick one, work on it for a while, go on to another one, finish it, pick out another one ... and I also do new books that aren't even on the list. I'll never do all of them, but I never run out of ideas.
BC: What will be your next book?
JS: There are three for the horticultural industry that I'm trying to decide on at the moment. I'm also working on developing more contract templates that I can sell from my Web site and deliver by E-mail.
BC: You've got more outlets for creativity it seems.
JS: Definitely.
BC: And you have a garden.
JS: Yes. It was bare dirt just five years ago. I'll be sorry to leave it. So much of my heart went into it. But, oh my aching back!
BC: Is there a garden for you in Washington?
JS: With all that rain, you can count on it. My house there is almost three times the size of this one and it's on a third of an acre, so there's more room to garden. It also has lots of 180' tall Douglas fir trees. I can't ever seem to get enough trees!
BC: You said that back in 1992.
JS: Well, I guess that means I'm consistent!
BC: What will you be doing in Washington?
JS: I'll continue my self-publishing business and expand it. I plan to break my current Web sites into even more smaller, more manageable ones. And I will be doing illustration and digital photo restoration. I'm trying to keep my options open for everything else.
BC: You said that before too.
JS: Well, keeping your mind open to all the possibilities is part of being creative.
BC: I see you even wrote a book about expanding creativity.
JS: That would be "Unblocked." I'm very happy with that book. Unfortunately, I don't have any time to market it. It has only sold about 100 copies, so I need to do something with it soon.
BC: Are you teaching?
JS: Not here, but I plan to teach again when I'm settled in Washington.
BC: Will you miss California?
JS: Probably a little at first, but all my family is in Washington and that's the main attraction for me. That and the fact that it is such an incredibly beautiful part of the world.
BC: Do you have any updated advice for would-be writers and artists?
JS: For writers, yes. After more than 20 years of editing, all I can say is, please take classes in grammar, spelling, and vocabulary building. Learn how to write and communicate intelligibly. For artists — and for writers too — learn to use the Internet. It is a fabulous tool.
BC: Years ago you told me you always have a plan. Do you have one now?
JS: I'm working on one ... there are so many options, so many opportunities.
BC: So you don't suffer from the creative blocks you wrote about in "Unblocked"?
JS: I can honestly say that I am never blocked. Can't even recall the last time I was. Must be at least 25 years ago.
BC: You don't ever hit a dry spell?
JS: I wish. I could really use a break sometimes!
BC: How about art? All those abstracts you were going to paint?
JS: They are coming up in the very near future.
BC: So life is good.
JS: Yes, it's great!

* * *

Occupational Outlook and Training Directory
for Monterey, San Benito, and Santa Cruz Counties, 2001
Career Dialogue with Joelle Steele, Commercial/Graphic Artist

You have to learn from your mistakes and accept criticism from others. You can't afford to be hurt every time someone doesn't publish your work or wants you to change it. - Joelle Steele

OOTD: What do you say when someone asks you, "what do you do for a living?"
JS: I usually tell them that I am an artist and a writer.
OOTD: What are some of the jobs you've had throughout your career?
JS: I've had a lot of jobs, actually. I worked in an advertising agency as an illustrator, I've owned a recording studio, I've been a VP of marketing for a book publisher, and I've been self-employed as a publisher of books and periodicals. I've also been an interior designer and landscape designer, and I've done a lot of freelance writing and art.
OOTD: Is it feasible to consider art as a way of making a living? If so, why and what should one expect?
JS: Absolutely. Art is like any other job. You have to have the skills and the knowledge to do it. As far as what you expect, it has to do with what you put into it, just like anything else. You go to school, keep up on the latest things, have good people skills, and work on everything else you would normally do to be successful in other enterprises.
OOTD: What are the advantages and disadvantages of being an artist?
JS: That would be up to the individual. I don't see it as having any particular advantages or disadvantages. I think that the work style of every person is going to be a little different. I like to work from home, and so since most of my work is done at home, it works for me. Of course, if you're not disciplined it could work against you. Also, if your job is a social center for you, or if you want benefits and what not, being a self-employed/freelance artist may not be for you.
OOTD: Describe the tools you use for your job and why they are important.
JS: There are so many tools! I'm usually painting in watercolors or acrylics, using pen and ink, or I'm doing pencil or charcoal. That means I have a wide variety of writing implements, brushes, paper, sharpeners, mat cutters, light tables (tracing tables), and I even use a small hair dryer. And nowadays, in order to be able to transmit my art to whoever wants it at any given time, I have a scanner, a computer, and the necessary software so that I can transmit it by E-mail to whoever wants it.
OOTD: What knowledge, skills, and abilities do you believe are the most important to succeed as an artist in your field?
JS: To me, to succeed in any field requires the same things. You have to be focused, disciplined, you have to know your craft, and you have to have good people skills. You cannot create art in a garret. That's a nonsensical, romantic notion. It's a business and especially so if you say you're a freelancer. You're self-employed. You need to keep records and stay on top of things like that. You can't leave it all to an agent or a representative to manage your business. You can have them help and guide you, but in the end, you are the one who has to make all of the decisions about what that person does for you. So learning some basic business skills is important. You have to be able to learn from your mistakes and to accept criticism from other people. You can't afford to go around and be hurt every time someone doesn't publish your work or wants you to change it. And, you also have to be tactful in dealing with people. You have to have a lot of people skills to explain, interpret what they want, be able to say "no" if they're asking for too much ... you have to be able to take control, but you have to do it in a kind and sensitive way.
OOTD: Can a person be taught to be a good artist?
JS: I think every person who wants to be an artist does have to be taught to be a good artist. You might be born or nurtured with an aesthetic sense, but to become an artist means that you have the training and techniques and the use of the materials of your choice to create your art. Otherwise, you may have an aesthetic sense but it's never developed. You might become a historian or a collector, but not an artist.
OOTD: How do you promote yourself and your art?
JS: Referrals, yellow pages, and about a third comes from direct mail marketing.
OOTD: What attracted you to this type of work? What keeps you wanting to do it?
JS: It's not like there's anything that originally attracted me to it; I've been doing art since I was about 5. But, I enjoy the materials themselves. I like the feel of the paper, the movement of the brush, the creaminess of the paint, the scratching of the pen on the paper, and the way a pencil goes against the tooth of a piece of paper. And I love the aesthetics of art; I could look at art all day and never be bored.
OOTD: How did you prepare yourself for this occupation? What is your advice for new or struggling artists?
JS: I've had a lot of private instruction, college courses, and workshops, and I read. I keep myself educated. The only magazines I subscribe to are art magazines. And I've been on a computer since 1983, so I've kept up on technology. The rest of it is practice. It's nice to have all the knowledge, but to really be prepared to do something you have to be constantly doing it and practicing. Art is like any other career. You learn things, you develop your skills, you practice, and you learn from your mistakes. I really don't like the term "struggling artist," because it gives an unfair image to artists in general. People then think artists are struggling on their way to get somewhere. But I think if you have to struggle, there's something wrong. There's no reason to be struggling at art or any other creative endeavor. If you are, you need to figure out what's wrong so you can focus on what it is you really want to do.

* * *

Freelance Magazine, 1992
Joelle Steele Expands Her Creativity
by Barbara Cabot

I'm just a creative person, and I express my creativity in whatever format, whatever media, feels most appropriate at the moment. - Joelle Steele

After attending her presentation on expanding creativity and then reading and seeing some of her work, I arranged to interview local writer and artist Joelle Steele at her studio apartment in Venice Beach, California. We sat by a sunny window overlooking the blue waters of the Pacific Ocean and discussed her work, including her poetry, short stories, and how-to books, as well as her art and illustrations.

Barbara Cabot: This must be a great environment for a creative person.
Joelle Steele: Sometimes. It's really a little too noisy and hectic for me most of the time.
BC: Did you write "Mrs. Wingo's Cat" here?
JS: Yes. I wrote all the stories in that collection here. Oh wait, not "The Waiting Room." I wrote that on a plane trip to and from Florida.
BC: What took you to Florida?
JS: I went there to speak at a horticultural conference.
BC: You write books for that industry.
JS: Yes. I publish a monthly newsletter for interior landscapers and write articles for a lot of professional horticultural journals.
BC: Well, I see from all the plants in here that you must love gardening. Your orchids are gorgeous.
JS: Thanks. Yes, I do love gardening. I love writing about it and I love drawing and painting plants and floral images, representational and abstract, and even photographing them.
BC: Some of your poems have gardening themes.
JS: Yes. I think the first one I wrote with a gardening theme was "Green Cathedral." It was something I wrote to go with a painting by the same name.
BC: Who were your main poetic influences?
JS: I'm not sure how influential they were, but when I was a teenager I loved the lyrics of Bob Dylan and the Beatles — especially the later Beatles. In college, I was reading Rimbaud and Baudelaire in French and English. I liked everything from Ovid to Wordsworth to Maya Angelou to Ferlinghetti. And when I was about 23, I met Allen Ginsberg. He heard me read some of my poems in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, and he said that my imagery was distinct but that I should not be such a "slave to rhyme." I guess he must have been a major influence, because I immediately began writing in free verse.
BC: No one gets rich writing poetry, but they do it anyway.
JS: True. But of all the creative forms at my disposal, I find I can say more in poetry in a handful of lines than I can say in a whole book of prose, so I have written a lot of poems.
BC: Define "a lot."
JS: Close to a thousand. But I can't say I'm pleased with all of them. I frequently weed out the stuff I don't think sounds good or like me.
BC: Weeding out — a gardening analogy?
JS: Looks that way.
BC: Do you consider yourself more of a poet than anything else?
JS: Not really. I don't think I can be labeled that easily, and I definitely do not like to be labeled. I'm just a creative person, and I express my creativity in whatever format, whatever media, feels most appropriate at the moment.
BC: Do you have a message?
JS: Well, I guess I do sometimes, but a lot of the time I'm simply writing and painting because I just like to write and paint. Period.
BC: Do you form attachments to your work, find it hard to let them go?
JS: Not really. If I like something I can sell it and just create another, probably better than the original.
BC: Do you have favorites among your own works?
JS: Absolutely. My favorite poem is "Judgment Day"; favorite short story, "The Ice House"; favorite how-to book, "Indoor Watering Techniques"; favorite illustration, a watercolor of the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco; favorite fine art piece, an abstract called Golden Grass — I gave that one to a boyfriend and broke up with him a month later. I regret that — giving him the painting, that is.
BC: Is there anything you don't like to write about or paint?
JS: I don't like to do portraits. I don't write about politics or sports.
BC: Who do you read?
JS: I like a lot of authors for different reasons. Mostly I read for enjoyment, but I especially like Stephen King's characters, Anne Rivers Siddons' descriptions of place, Thomas Hardy's plot lines ... and I like almost any mysteries or suspense — Agatha Christie, Barbara Michaels — almost anything in that genre.
BC: Do you try to emulate their writing styles?
JS: No, not consciously anyway.
BC: What about your art? Who do you like and who are your influences?
JS: Well, again, my tastes in all things is quite eclectic, so I like everything from the Dutch masters to Monet and Renoir to Granville Redmond and the Wachtels to Kandinsky and even Chagall. I think Kandinsky really influenced me as a teenage artist. In my illustrations, I can't think of any influences at all — maybe old etchings ...
BC: Did you go to art school?
JS: No. I studied a little in college and had several years of private instruction. The rest is pretty much practice. As a child I learned an enormous amount about art technique and art history from my grandfather, Leo Perrino. He gave me a fantastic base of art knowledge, taking me to museums and galleries and also showing me how to mix a proper palette and get my perspective correct. Also, my parents had tons of books on art.
BC: Is that how it is with your writing?
JS: Well, in a way. I mean, I started writing as a young child. I also started drawing as a child. Art and writing are all I've ever done and both are as natural to me as breathing. I just write and draw or paint.
BC: So the creative process is not painful for you?
JS: Absolutely not. If it were, I would see a shrink or find a new line of work more suitable for me. Your true calling in life should always be pure joy.
BC: So creativity for you is easy?
JS: I won't say I haven't worked at art and writing, at learning new things, at improving my craft, and so on. And some projects took more time than others, but it has never been difficult for me because creativity does come naturally, and it gets so much easier, so much more fluid, with practice — just doing it.
BC: Exactly now long have you been "doing it"?
JS: I had my first article published in 1973, a book of poetry published a year later, my first illustration job in 1972, and my first art show in 1976. Everything since then is just better crafting born of all those years of practice.
BC: Is fame and fortune around the corner for you?
JS: I doubt it. I'm not really actively seeking it. I'm not particularly ambitions. I'm just so happy to be doing what I love to do most in the world.
BC: How are you able to create full-time?
JS: I'm not always able to do it full-time. There have been some lean years here and there, and so I just take a part-time job when that happens. But when I do work at my craft full-time, I'm able to do it because I'm versatile. I can write or do art in almost any genre for any industry in any format imaginable — everything from demand letters and custody orders to "puff pieces" for local businesses, lush watercolors to detailed pen and ink illustrations, and I work well with authors as well as publishers. If you're going to do anything full-time, you have to get out there and practice doing it and always try new things.
BC: Is that your advice for other artists and writers, to practice and try new things?
JS: I guess so. Learn everything you can about your chosen craft and then practice it every day — for the rest of your life.
BC: Does that mean you're always practicing?
JS: Of course. Every creative person is always learning and practicing. We all grow creatively that way. It's part of the creative process that is ongoing throughout the life of any writer or artist. We're always looking for something more exciting to challenge us.
BC: Is there a plan behind it all?
JS: I always have a plan of some kind. And in retrospect, I can always see that there have been some very obvious trends underlying everything I do. Gardening, for example. Also architecture. I love to draw and paint old buildings. And I like to teach art and writing.
BC: It's important to share knowledge.
JS: Yes, it really is. So many people have shared their knowledge with me over the years. I'm very grateful to them, and I feel a need to give something back to other novice artists and writers.
BC: That's how all the how-to articles and books came about?
JS: Yes, more or less. I got so many calls from people and I didn't have time to speak to all of them personally, to answer all their questions.
BC: I guess that's also how you ended up teaching?
JS: Right. It's so much easier and less time-consuming to talk to 20 or 30 people all at once. It's fun too, and I always learn something along the way.
BC: What projects are you working on right now?
JS: I'm in the final edit of a short plant book and I'm doing a couple of book covers.
BC: Do you enjoy doing the works for hire?
JS: For the most part. It really depends on the project. I especially like doing covers for CDs and books. I do editing for others, and I'm good at it, but it isn't all that rewarding — kind of drone work that pays well.
BC: What do you plan to do in the coming few years?
JS: I see more how-to books in my future. I do like writing them and I have an endless list of ones I'd like to write and many are works in progress. I also see more covers. I guess above all I'd like to do more fine art. I have tons of sketches for abstract landscapes and florals and other pieces.
BC: Will you continue to work here in your apartment?
JS: Probably. I'd like to move to a more quiet environment, maybe a small town, something a little rural. I think I'm more of a country girl at heart. And I want a garden. And trees. I really need a lot of trees.
BC: Any idea of where you might go?
JS: Oh, there are so many great places. It's hard to decide. I'll probably stay on the west coast, but maybe go north, possibly to the Pacific Northwest. I'm keeping my options open.

* * *

Beach's Sentinel, 1992
Back From Homelessness
A Venice Beach Artist and Writer Tells Her Story

by Sheryl Brenneman

At the root of a lot of homelessness is the lack of affordable medical care for people who have no resources and are not mentally or physically well enough to care for themselves. It's a very big crack in society's infrastructure through which people can easily fall. - Joelle Steele

No matter where you go these days, no matter whether it's the big city or some small town, you will find homeless people. And, if you have ever been to Venice Beach, California, you have seen them in large numbers, begging for handouts, sleeping on benches, rummaging through dumpsters. What you don't see is their stories. How did they become homeless? After reading her article on her personal experience with homelessness [Homelessness: It Can Happen To Anyone; It Did To Me, July/August 1992, Mensa Bulletin], I met with Venice Beach local writer and artist Joelle Steele, a woman who, while seriously ill, lived in her car on the streets of Los Angeles for seven weeks, from mid-September through the first week of November of 1980.

Joelle came to this crisis following a series of events that began with an illness that resulted in major surgery, extended medical treatments for that illness, and a serious automobile accident in which she suffered a brain trauma and back injury for which she was also being treated. When her living situation fell through, she moved into her car for what she thought would be one night.

"My parents were in Europe. My landlord was in Africa. My attorney wouldn't take my calls. I didn't know many people because I was new in town and wasn't well enough to socialize, and most of my free time was spent going to doctors," says Joelle.

Alone and in the big city of Los Angeles, Joelle felt lost with nowhere to go.

"I didn't know anything about homeless people or that shelters even existed. I thought I was unique, the only person living in my car," she says.

But she wasn't alone. The very first night in her car the police asked her to move on. She was parked in a residential neighborhood that she thought looked safe. The residents apparently didn't feel safe with a homeless person camped out on their street and someone called the police.

"From there, I went to an all-night coffee shop, and as I was leaving, I met a homeless man who saw my car full of stuff. He told me where to park and sleep and how to keep safe," says Joelle.

Joelle stayed in her car and found ways to eat and take care of herself. She showered at the beach in cold water early in the morning — as soon as the sun came up. She was working part-time temporary jobs, so she had a little income and went to the grocery store and bought food that didn't have to be refrigerated or cooked. While living in her car was a terrible ordeal, having to handle all her medical issues added insult to injury.

"I was so ill at the time that I couldn't think clearly. I was in all kinds of therapy, I would forget to take medication, and I missed a lot of doctor appointments because I was having blackouts and missing blocks of times. I was so scared," she says.

Living with the pain of her physical illness and injuries was unremarkable when compared with the ramifications of her brain trauma, which resulted in grand mal seizures, fugue states, amnesiac blackouts, and short-term memory loss, among many other lesser perceptual problems. Medications weren't helping her much, and at one point she found out that she was actually on one medication that was exacerbating some of her problems, making them potentially dangerous and even life-threatening.

"The blackouts were the worst. One afternoon I was sitting in a doctor's waiting room in Santa Monica and the next thing I knew it was nine hours later, pitch black out, and I was sitting in a bus going down Santa Monica Boulevard heading towards Hollywood. This kind of episode was not unusual. I would suddenly 'wake up' and be myself again, with no memory of where I'd been or what I'd done. I wouldn't even know where my car was," says Joelle.

Joelle's parents returned from Europe and she drove to their home in northern California. She asked her father for help and he refused.

"I never got along with my father. He is difficult, cold, and uncaring. I was not all that surprised that he turned me away," she says.

Her mother gave her $50 and promised to send more, deferring to Joelle's father.

"I had a neighbor one time and all she did was break her wrist, and her parents drove all the way out from rural West Virginia to L.A. to take care of her. I wanted parents like that," says Joelle.

Joelle returned to southern California where all her doctors were and where she had a new long-term temp job lined up. At this point, she had been living in her car for two weeks and did not yet have enough money to start looking for an apartment. But she started to save what little she could from the temp job.

She drifted from one place to another, trying to find a place to stay. But so many areas were dangerous at night. A gang came along one night and bounced her car while she was in it, so she had to leave that spot. Eventually, she found a place off the road in Malibu where there were some houses and lots of tree and brush coverage. She parked there every evening around sunset and left every morning at sunrise. She stayed there for the last three of her seven weeks on the street.

"This place was safer, but there is a lot of danger from human predators. And I was such easy prey! I was so obviously unwell. I had problems walking due to my back injury. I got mugged by the same person twice at knifepoint in the beach restroom where I went to shower and get ready for work," she says.

The mugger didn't get any valuables, but what she got were necessities for Joelle: her bedding, heavy sweaters, and a winter coat.

"It was October and I was so cold after that. You can't believe how horrible it is to go to bed hungry and cold until it happens to you," says Joelle. "Sometimes I just can't believe I ever lived through it all."

But she did, despite the fact that she also lost her long-term temp assignment due to her brain injury.

"I had temporal lobe damage — cognitive impairment — and seizures. The seizures were controlled by medication, but the cognitive impairment prevented me from doing things I had always been able to do before. Simple things like following a conversation, taking directions, answering a switchboard with only five incoming lines and 20 extensions. I left people on hold left and right. I got fired," she says.

Joelle had to do something and fast. She decided to get all new doctors. Her new neurologist reviewed her records and changed all of her medications, taking her off some of them completely. With the new medication regime, she became more coherent and the amnesia and blackout episodes became much shorter and occurred less frequently. They went away entirely within a year after she took a part-time job in a one-person office with a landscape contractor. Within a week of getting that job, her landlord came back from Africa and referred her to another apartment building he owned that had a vacancy. The marshal came to allow her access to remove her things that were in her former roommate's possession. The landscape contractor generously sent a truck and two laborers to move her into the new apartment.

"It was twelve years ago, but it is impossible to forget," says Joelle. "I will have to live with cognitive impairment for the rest of my life. But, I don't have seizures or fugue states and I'm no longer on medications of any kind. And I have had a lot of rehabilitative therapy for dealing with cognitive problems, so I have a lot of ways to deal with them if and when they occur. I also had back surgery in 1984, so that has also improved things a lot, but I still suffer from chronic pain."

Joelle wrote a book about her experiences, which I had the opportunity to read. But she didn't seek a publisher for it.

"Writing the book turned out to be a cathartic experience for me. Maybe some day I'll pursue getting it published, but right now I just want to move forward with my life," she says.

During her stay in her car, Joelle had an opportunity to witness a side of life that most people never see. She saw firsthand the problems facing people living in their cars and on the streets of Los Angeles.

"Some homeless people are obviously victims of their own devices — drugs, alcohol, etc. Others are suffering from a variety of physical ailments, and many are mentally ill. Some are elderly and have no place to go. Many are war veterans who are not being well-cared for by the very country they fought for," she says.

Now a volunteer working with the homeless, Joelle has formed many strong opinions about this national crisis.

"At the root of a lot of homelessness is the lack of affordable medical care for people who have no resources and are not mentally or physically well enough to care for themselves. It's a very big crack in society's infrastructure through which people can easily fall," says Joelle. "And there is no single, simple, one-size-fits-all solution. There are as many causes of homelessness as their are homeless people."

Does Joelle ever worry about becoming homeless again?

"Every minute of every day the prospect of being homeless is whirling around in the back of my mind. It happened to me once and I am painfully aware that it could happen again. The majority of people in this country are just one or two paychecks away from living on the street. No one should ever have to experience that."

* * *

Book Bag, 1987
The Nature of Illustration: California Artist Joelle Steele

by Merilee Kutchensen

*Note: When this article was written, Joelle Steele was known by another name.
That name has been changed throughout this reprint to Joelle Steele.

I am as comfortable doing photography and hand-tinting photos as I am drawing in pen and ink, charcoal or pencil, or painting in ink, watercolor, or acrylic. I've even done some collage when the project called for it. - Joelle Steele

For the past ten years, Joelle Steele has been establishing her niche as a cover artist and as an illustrator specializing in plant and floral motifs. We talked about the creative process and her own experiences as a professional illustrator. Gardening is a big industry and it keeps her busy most of the time.

"I have a few regular publisher clients who frequently buy spots and page pieces for their gardening books and magazines," says Joelle. But at least half of her work is not specifically related to gardening. She also does covers for books, record albums, and magazines. "I like to remain as flexible about subject matter as possible. I do gravitate towards the plant and floral motifs, especially when there is even the most remote chance that a gardening theme will be appropriate. But a lot of my cover work is so abstract or impressionistic that you can't always tell that I'm in the gardening mode."

When she isn't in the gardening mode, Joelle also enjoys drawing animals, especially birds and fish, and she loves architectural illustration, especially old historic buildings with a lot of ornamentation. She doesn't have a favorite medium for her work. "I am as comfortable doing photography and hand-tinting photos as I am drawing in pen and ink, charcoal or pencil, or painting in ink, watercolor, or acrylic," says Joelle. "I've even done some collage when the project called for it."

Joelle finds most of her clients through postcard mailings that she sends to publishers throughout each year. Every year she gets some new clients, and some of the old ones fade away. "Some publishers are always looking for the next new thing, but what I really think happens most often is that a publisher either has the kind of project that is suited to your talents, or they don't," she says.

Interpreting what a client wants is always a challenge. How does Joelle manage it? "It all depends on the publisher," she says. "If they are very clear on what they want, it is usually pretty simple. If they are not all that clear and they just want you to 'come up with something,' it is much more difficult. I usually pass on jobs where the publisher is too vague — I find it's mainly a formula for failure."

When the publisher gives her the right direction, Joelle responds with a preliminary sketch or two, something to show them where she's going with whatever they have expressed to her. But coming up with the idea can take while. "I'm usually pretty easily inspired, so in general, it takes me a few minutes or a couple hours to come up with a viable idea," she says. "But there was one project where I labored over it for three weeks before I finally came up with something concrete. And then it only took me about two hours to put it on paper!"

Like most artists, Joelle produces lots of sketches before she settles on the ones she ultimately develops for her clients. "I often envision things in my mind's eye that I just can't seem to recreate on paper. So there is a process of trying this, then that, then something else, and sometimes going back to the very first sketch I did and developing it further," she says.

Her illustration projects are not without their challenges. When designing a cover for a science book, the author and publisher had very different ideas about what they wanted, and each sounded good in their own way. Joelle had to please both of them. "In the end," she says, "I kind of did my own thing, which was a collage using some old photos and then doing some ink enhancement. Fortunately, they both liked what I did, so there can be a happy medium if you just stretch your mind and look for it."

Before I left Joelle to finish her latest project, I asked if she had any words of encouragement for artists who want to break into the illustration market. Her response was, "Don't give up. It can be quite difficult to get established as an illustrator, and you really have to rely on clients from all over the country — all over the world. That takes time. Time means patience and patience is everything in art."

* * *

Bay Arts Guide, 1976
Joelle Steele: Burlingame Artist Opens at The Lorton

by Louis Friedstadt

*Note: When this article was written, Joelle Steele was known by another name.
That name has been changed throughout this reprint to Joelle Steele.

Known for its eclectic mix of art and artists, The Lorton is featuring a new local talent, abstract impressionist Joelle Steele. Steele, age 25, is also a published author and illustrator of a poetry chapbook, Under A Weeping Sky. She works in oil on canvas and is a rare find amid a culture that continues to indiscriminately build art on the foundations of the psychedelic era. Her landscapes and plant imagery convey a brilliance of color, yet their stark quality lends a piercing subtlety to this young artist's collection. In short, Steele has found her own unique style, and it shines with perspicacity and sophistication.

Golden Grass, Oaken Palace, and Salt Flats reflect the dry, desolate summer scenery of the East Bay, Steele's former residence while a student at Cal State Hayward. The amount of detail in the brush strokes is nothing less than impressive when viewed at close range; from a few feet distance, they merge to form a soft, shadowy, wave-like effect. The same observation can be made with Garden Cathedral, an emerald vision of towering eucalyptus trees backlit by a rising sun. Up close, it's a myriad of stained glass; from afar, a miasma of fragrant foliage — and it comes with a poem by the same name.

Steele paints primarily en plein aire and also from photographs. Perhaps the Lorton and other venues should take a close look at some of her photos for a future exhibition. I had the pleasure to peruse them, as well as other selections of Steele's paintings and drawings, when I visited her in Burlingame to discuss her work. It is no small wonder that her paintings are so replete with vivid color and rich texture. The same qualities are clearly reproduced in the photos she takes with her large format and 35mm Rollei cameras.

"I like photography a lot, but I love painting and drawing. You just can't say with a photo what you can say with a brush," says Steele.

Among the works on hand at Steele's apartment/studio were the beginnings of a new collection, each painting with an accompanying poem.

"I consider myself to be a writer and an artist, and often the two seem to go hand-in-hand for me. With this new collection, I am focusing my attention on that pairing," she says.

The anchor piece for this new collection is Feather Waters, a lush tribute to the fall colors of the Feather River Canyon. Again, Steele has managed to capture the intimate experience of a crisp autumn moment in her carefully crafted brush strokes, all the while creating an emotional nexus with the viewer.

"When I'm working on a painting, I don't think all that much about what the final effect will be on those who look at my art. I am just caught up in the process of creating something new," says Steele.

Perhaps new and refreshing. Because Steele's work is that and then some. She has achieved much in the way of individual style for an artist her age, and we can only hope that she will continue to forge ahead with her bold imagery and eloquent language. This artist has a lot to say.