About
I’m Joni Lavalette, an Acrylic Fluid Artist creating original works that explore movement, color, texture, and dimension. My work begins with the unpredictable nature of fluid acrylics, then evolves through intentional handwork and layering to create pieces that are expressive, distinctive, and entirely one of a kind.
My Story
My Beginning
Art has been part of my life since childhood. As a high school senior, I received my school’s art award while also pursuing a strong interest in mathematics, science, and architecture—disciplines that would later become an unexpected influence on my artistic process.
The Analytical Side
My professional career took me into technology, where I worked as a technical writer, developer, and ultimately a senior technical director managing software development teams. Throughout my career, I relied on the same qualities that now shape my art: curiosity, creative thinking, attention to detail, and a willingness to approach problems from unexpected angles.
Returning to Art
After taking an early retirement in 2019, I returned to the artistic side of myself. In 2021, I began seriously exploring fluid acrylic painting and discovered a medium that uniquely engages both sides of my mind. The chemistry of paint consistencies and additives, the interaction and movement of colors, and the balance between intention and unpredictability appeal to my analytical nature, while color, composition, texture, and creative expression satisfy my artistic side.
My Process
My process is both intuitive and intentional. I carefully manipulate paint consistencies and additives to influence how colors interact and flow, allowing the materials to create movement and organic patterns while maintaining a sense of artistic direction. I also incorporate hand-applied elements and layered effects to add texture, depth, and dimension, creating details that reveal themselves as the viewer spends time with the work.
My Work Today
My canvas paintings are finished with a UV-protective art gloss varnish, while selected functional and other works receive a UV-protective, food-safe, heat-tolerant art-resin finish.
My work ranges from expressive abstract compositions to my Shades of Texas collection, in which the distinctive Texas silhouette becomes a canvas for color, movement, and stories inspired by the character and spirit of Texas. Based in McKinney, Texas, I create artwork intended to bring color, personality, and a sense of discovery into the spaces where people live.
I also welcome select commissions, creating one-of-a-kind pieces tailored to a client’s colors, space, and vision.
Where to Find My Work
My work is available to view and purchase at LAST Art Gallery in McKinney, Texas, where I exhibit alongside a collective of local artists. Selected original paintings, Shades of Texas pieces, functional art, and smaller works are available throughout the gallery, with new work added as pieces move into and out of the collection.
I also participate in local art events and pop-up opportunities throughout the year. For current information about where to see my work, visit Where to Find My Work.