The Exquisite Artistry of Joo-Expo

Jolan Scrolling through the Instagram gallery of @joo_expo is more like strolling through the aisles of a fine art museum. With their rich textures, her images at first glance, could be mistaken for oil paintings.

I so wish I had command over other languages so I could communicate better with people around the world. Jolan admitted it was difficult for her to express her feelings when she’s not speaking her mother tongue. Luckily, her photographs speak all languages. I am so pleased to present her work here.

Longing…(above)

Fog hiding behind the trees (above)

Geri: What is your name and where do you live?

Jolan: My name is Jolan, better known as Joo and I live in the Netherlands in the area called “de Veluwe”.

Geri: Do you have a traditional photography or art background?

Jolan: Yes, I have an art background. I used to be an art therapist and therefore I studied among other things art history and color theory.

Portrait 4 (above)

Treeline (above)

Poppies (above)

Geri: How long have you been creating mobile art with your phone?

Jolan: Just a year…I got a mobile phone with a camera for work. Before I had a simple phone for texting and calling and nothing more. With this new phone I could take pictures anywhere and anytime. It opened a new world for me!

Geri: Who or what inspires your work?

Jolan: Nature is my inspiration! I love the colors of the seasons and when I combine nature and color, I can create a whole new world with a new feel and mood. I am blessed to live in beautiful surroundings with forests and fields where I can see a lot of sky and clouds! It gives me so much energy and creativity, there's so much to see nearby or faraway.

Green meets red (above)

Dandelion (above)

Geri: Your work is full of rich textures. Do you create your own, or is this done with apps?

Jolan: When I paint, I make my own textures, but I use apps to create them in my photo works.

Geri: What are some of your favorite apps?

Jolan: My most favorite is Snapseed! Second best for me is Xnview Photo FX. I can’t forget Pixlr-o-matic which was my first app and it is the one that created my enthusiasm! It creates so many possibilities – it took a while before I found my own personal style.

For those whom I love (above)

Stairway to nowhere (above)

Geri: Please share a little about your editing process.

Jolan: I edit on my iPad but before that I have to take a picture...sometimes I think I have little cameras in my eyes...they take the picture before my phone does. On my iPad I always search for the right balance between color and composition...it's an intuitive process and it is never the same. I jump from app to app and when the process is finished most of the time I can't remember all the steps it took to create a new work. It's much like making a painting, it's a process not a plan.

Geri: Have you ever exhibited your work? If not, do you have any plans to do so.

Jolan: I have exhibited my paintings but never my photographs. I'd love to, but I think it's a bit too early. There is still so much to learn and discover...maybe in the future, I hope so!!!