gmhTODAY 15 gmhToday July Aug 2017 | Page 79

Her record of accomplishments has validated that decision. On the wall of her home studio hang a passel of ribbons from the many art shows she’s won or placed in. In June, she was spotlighted as the featured artist at dailypaintworks.com. Most notable to her is her first-place finishes in the Gilroy Garlic Festival poster contests and the Best of Show, second-place and honorable mention ribbons she won at the 2009 City of Gilroy sponsored art show. Viewing photos of her work, it is surprising to learn that most are produced on small canvases, generally no larger than six by eight inches. This preference has proven to be a good strategy. Since 2015, the busy artist has created 426 works and sold 317 at local galleries and on the Internet, shipping to buyers around the world. “I still get excited each time one sells; it still feels like it’s the first time!” she said. “I produce lots of work because I paint daily and they are mostly small.”  Influences of her favorite artists, including American contemporary artists Karen Jurkek, Tim Horn and Dean Mitchell, can be seen in her wide- ranging portfolio. Though she creates realistic treatments of her subjects, she is a fan of all art including abstract art, identifying Gilroy artist Laurie Barmore as a local favorite in that genre. Anyone viewing her art will surely picture a storied future for JoAnne Perez Robinson. GILROY • MORGAN HILL • SAN MARTIN Robinson’s many works can be seen live at Leedo Art and Framing and Gilroy Center for the Arts in Gilroy; Fast Frame in Morgan Hill; and at Made in Pescadero in Pescadero. A comprehensive showing of her art can be found online at joanneperez- robinson.com and dailypaintworks. com. JULY/AUGUST 2017 gmhtoday.com 79