Joel E Traylor III

"Creation is an act of letting go, of being here now... I want to develop a balance in my mind between that side which rages and that side which refines. When I am in harmony, images flow freely; colors pulse, forms dance, and there is a freedom of thought, feeling, and imagination. Imagination, after all, is inseparable from the experience of who we are. When we imagine and create, we tap into a boundless resource; the realm of pure potential. In this process, there is the intimation of a sublime way of being. It is a familiar and unspeakable feeling that I believe we all experience and seek out, consciously or not, in our own ways. Art is my way. But letting go isn't always easy."

Joel’s evolving style, both vibrant and whimsical, glimpses into a world of inspiration and possibility. While some of his images reflect an influence of Picasso, Klee and Miro, they are in a style that is uniquely original and vibrant, executed with Joel ’s individual flare for color, composition and whimsy.

His artwork has been both editor’s pick in ‘ArtAffairs.com’s premier issue and on the cover of a book of short stories, Dreams & Other Ailments. In the summer of 2002 Joel was selected by the DC Commission on the Arts for the “Party Animals” project. His elephant, entitled, “United, We Push Higher”, was sponsored by the Inter-American Development Bank and raised nearly $7000 toward art education and grant programs.