Joan Mitchell Paints a Symphony

Its 1983, and American artist Joan Mitchell is in her studio outside Paris, transforming her emotions and memories into a symphony of colours and shapes. Inspired by her friends description of an idyllic hidden valley in France, Mitchell creates 21 massive paintingsher Grande Valle series bursting with vibrant, energising hues. But she doesnt paint the valleys flowers and meadows. She paints a feeling about themabundance, freedom, livelinesscreating a harmonious blend of drips, splashes, and brushstrokes in rainbow colours. When the paint dries, it's time to share her valley with the world. This inspiring, poetic picture book about an influential yet lesser-known American artist provides a snapshot of a creator who deserves as much acclaim as better-known Abstract Expressionists like Jackson Pollock or Willem de Kooning. Author Lisa Rogers shares both the despair and delight Mitchell experienced throughout her career, while acclaimed illustrator Stacy Innersts bright artwork captures the movement and energy of Mitchells work, as her paintings develop from page to page.