'No Way Back 1,' by Josette Simon-Gestin, Etching and Pastel Drawing

This 11.5" X 10.75" unframed mixed media pastel drawing and ink etching on paper created in 2021 by Josette Simon Gestin is from the artist's series titled "No way back." In the middle stands a large figure in a red polka dot top and to the left is an orange cat. On the far right edge stands a figure in a blue dress. To the left of the figure is a vase with a black circle flower floating upward. The artist has layered the etched image of a black gridded pattern in the background with other layers of colorful pastel and textural ink markings throughout.

Josette Simon Gestin is a French painter and a printmaker interested in expressing the complexity, beauty, and ambiguity of the world. Frequent imagery in her work includes women, children, birds, and other animals living in baroque fantastical situations of her creation.

"I grew up in Brittany, France where I studied art at the Beaux-arts in Rennes. I moved to Oklahoma City in 1987. I started to print at the Paseo Intaglio Printers and to show my art in group and individual shows. My art work was shown in Florida, Missouri, California, Illinois, Minnesota, Indiana and in Japan. I later moved to Philadelphia where I got involved with the Women’s Caucus for Art and Art at the Armory. After three years, my family and I returned to Europe. In Italy, Austria, and France, my work was exhibited in several galleries. In Brittany for four years, I reconnected with my roots and was invited to show in the Euroceltic Festival in Lorient. During this stay in Europe, my work was still shown in the United States and was acquired by private and public collections. I was part of the Oklahoma City Festival of the Arts 11 times and was the poster artist in 1992. I have had several one-person exhibits in Oklahoma at the Norick Art Center Oklahoma City University, City Art Center, Pickard Gallery, Untitled ArtSpace, Nault Fine Art. I am currently represented in OK by Objets Trouvés. In Rockville MD, I was part of a residency program to work on the link between creativity, childhood and art. I have shown my work in Copenhagen at the French Cultural institute, at Global Art Gallery and Gallerie Lorien with the Artival festival, among other places. My work has also been displayed at the UMK, the Danish minister of foreign affairs.

Back in Brittany since 2017, I have shown my work at hôpital Bretagne sud and Saint-Grégoire institut supérieur des Experts-Comptables, at Improbable Jardin gallery and at the Ploemeur médiathèque. I am part of the 101 Kunstnere book, 101 artists in Denmark for 2018-2019 and the Dots on the wall catalog, exhibit at the Lorien Gallerie at Copenhagen." -- Josette Simon Gestin