Bob Joachim

"I used to think abstract painting was much easier, but to do it well is actually harder than more representational painting. And it is much more personal, too. It's quite a demonstration of technique to create a design that is beautiful, profound or symbolic, that comes completely from yourself. You can't fall back and just paint what you see."

What kind of art would a man create who attended business school to please his dad, studied in seminary school to gain credentials to work as a minister, left the church when his ideas were more liberal than his church's, became a parole officer and supervisor for 32 years with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and then retired to life as an artist? The answer is serene and beautiful paintings by Chestnut Hill artist Bob Joachim in Plein-Air, a French term artists use for painting outdoors, along with his emerging work in abstract art.