Joan Marie Carney

Joan Marie Carney, aka Jambonie, Paint Girl, J-Bone, "went on to her reward" as Dad would have said.

Joan graduated from UMass and Berkshire Community College with degrees in the visual arts, with a painting concentration. Following graduation she worked in window display and with further education and an apprenticeship, became a milliner and pursued that for more than two decades while living in Seattle, New York and Boston.

Joan was a costumer for the New York Theatre, worked with Disney to refurbish costume hats, and years later moved to Santa Fe where her hat making craft really exploded and she was doing mostly custom work for individual clients. While in Santa Fe, she also worked at Charlotte Jackson Fine Art Gallery. She began painting again and had several shows featuring her work.

Joan eventually returned to Massachusetts and helped run a non-profit, community art center in Pittsfield, the Berkshire Artisans. Combining all her prior job experience and education, she successfully ran the art center as assistant director, preparator, curator and teacher. During that time, Joan chose to return, once again, to painting. She considered herself a formalist painter and developed an original technique of painting on glass.

Joan was very soft spoken but could belt out a mean rendition of Louie Armstrong's HELLO DOLLY! She had a mischievous smile that would start as a grin and then slowly envelop and explode over the entirety of her beautiful face. She had a quiet kindness flowing from her that stood out to everyone she met.

Joan was born in Springfield, MA to Michael and Doris Carney. She had the very best of friends in her siblings, Mike (Kim), Maureen (Skip), Debbie, Don (Kathy) and Patty (Laurie), along with 13 nieces and nephews.

A Celebration of Joan's Life will be announced at a later date.