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Joan LeMay's gouache illustrations that capture home comforts and the things that make us better

Joan LeMay has always been magnetically drawn to portraiture. "One of the things I most love about creating it, is bringing something into existence that brings comfort and joy to the owner," explains the American artist and illustrator.

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An asthma inhaler illustrated in gouache against a backdrop of pink dahlias and a patterned orange fabric with geometric symbols in contrasting colours

"I love that paintings can act as a salve. I love that they can illuminate spaces. I love that they can remind us of people, creatures, places or things we are thankful for that bring us joy. I love that they can act as a reminder of who we are and who and what we treasure."

Her latest work is all portraiture of beloved TV personalities, medicine, food, and artists eating food. Each piece is really pattern-heavy and is full of bright colours. All the work is gouache on paper. The common thread is, really, capturing and celebrating what helps us," Joan adds. "Salves, role models, familiar comforts. The medicine portraits are also celebrating the idea of taking care of yourself and also celebrating the medications themselves that help people who need to take them to function; the destigmatisation of that.

"Sometimes, TV is seen as something like a guilty pleasure; the work is celebrating that as well; there should be no guilt surrounding it."

Synthroid medication bottle illustrated in gouache, surrounded by stylised blue and yellow-green leaves against a coral pink background and patterned fabric below
Hand holding a hot dog with mustard against a colourful floral patterned background in Joan LeMay's gouache illustration
Colourful gouache illustration of a woman with short blonde hair wearing a dark jacket with a white collar, set against a red starburst background scattered with dollar bills, with a yellow speech bubble reading "Don't pee on my leg and tell me it's raini
A smiling man in a green cardigan sits against a vibrant mandala-like backdrop of concentric circles and ornamental patterns in red, yellow and green on a blue ground
Gouache illustration of a prescription bottle of Lexapro against a dark teal background patterned with red flowers and yellow leaves, positioned above a colourful geometric design in magenta, blue and yellow
Gouache illustration of a chef in a cream apron surrounded by raw red meat cuts on a teal background, with a yellow speech bubble reading "IT'S RAW!
Man with curly hair and glasses holding a black cat, sat in front of a red patterned background with piano keys and orange decorative elements
Portrait illustration of a smiling older man with butterfly wings wearing a red patterned jacket against a yellow background with black squiggles and shapes
Portrait of a person wearing glasses holding a Haribo sweet, surrounded by colourful Haribo packaging, painted in gouache by Joan LeMay
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