As a teenager in Brooklyn, Gladstone recalls frequent trips into New York City on Sundays to visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art and linger in the Impressionist galleries. “My friends and I each had about $2 in our pockets. Museum admission was free, so we had just enough for subway tokens, pizza and soft drinks. Looking back, I realize how fortunate we were to see great art so easily and so often.”

After studying drawing and painting in high school, Gladstone was accepted into Boston University’s School of Fine Arts. She eventually switched majors and graduated from B.U. with a degree in public relations and communications.

Gladstone moved to Orange County, CA and worked for public relations firms, technology companies, nonprofits and County government. In 1989, she founded her firm, Gladstone International, and specialized in crisis communications for the next 30 years.

Throughout her career, Gladstone continued to take art classes and paint in her studio in her home in Laguna Beach. With an eye to finding subjects to paint, she photographed scenes from bicycling trips abroad with her husband Ed Gillow. She closed her business in 2019 to devote herself to painting full time.

Gladstone’s bold yet serene oil paintings reflect her love of Laguna Beach and the ocean. Her seascapes and figurative paintings have been featured in more than a dozen juried fine art shows. This summer, she participated in the Sawdust Art Festival in Laguna Beach.

Gladstone is represented by Quorum Gallery in Laguna Beach. To see more of her paintings, visit her website, joangladstone.com or Instagram @joangladstoneartist.

Mary Platt, Director

Image:
Joan Gladstone
"Laguna Beach Lifeguard"
2021
Oil on canvas
24 x 18”
Courtesy of the artist