I am a figurative painter, who reinterprets historical, political, mythical and cultural themes.  I paint in oils both from life and photographic references. Drawing is an integral part of my practice.

Working in series form satisfies the need to deeply explore a subject. A project usually starts with a personal connection to a particular subject; it evolves as I discover and digest further connections, perceptions, and emotions. While each painting has its own identity, it is nonetheless explicitly linked to the others in the series. Viewers may find entry points into the work, which I hope creates an opportunity for a rich dialogue.

My work has been exhibited at the 1212 Gallery (Burlingame, CA) and Back To The Picture (San Francisco). Harry Potter & The Fires of Ignorance was included in the 2008 curated exhibition “Banned & Recovered: Artists Respond to Censorship” at the SF Center for the Book and African American Museum & Library in Oakland, CA. The piece traveled with the exhibition throughout California in 2009 and 2010.

I have studied with painting with Felicia Forte, Donald Bradford and Christian Fagerlund, and drawing with Graham Nickson and Diane Olivier.

I was the co-founder of Venetian Red (2008-2014), a blog about art, textiles and design, and I continue to write for Figuratively Speaking.   “Joan Schulze—A Life in Collage” was published in Fall 2010 issue of Surface Design Journal.

I am an alumna of Brown University and Columbia Business School.