Joanna Potratz, who lives and works in Poland, started creating her art in a difficult period in her life in which she was unhappy and out of work. Sitting down with just a pencil, ruler, fountain pen and paper she started creating geometric black and white pieces. At that time she says she had no experience of Op Art; the ideas and style just came to her and it wasn’t until much later that she realised that what she was drawing would be called Op Art.
![Untitled 1
Joanna Potratz
Pen and ink](http://j2y.117.mywebsitetransfer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Untitled-1-joanna.jpg)
![Untitled 2
Joanna Potratz
Pen and ink](http://j2y.117.mywebsitetransfer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Untitled-2.jpg)
![Untitled 3
Joanna Potratz
Pen and ink](http://j2y.117.mywebsitetransfer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Untitled-3.jpg)
Joanna says: “Each image took several hours of intensive manual work… Often I didn’t have any firm idea about the final effect before the piece was finished, so I was often surprised by what that effect was.”
Joanna didn’t study art formally, just finishing ‘typical college’. “I did all my works not knowing what style of art it was – in the same way Molier’s Monsieur Jourdain didn’t know he spoke in prose.” Now 38, Joanna has been creating Op Art for the past 20 years.
![Untitled 4
Joanna Potratz
Pen and ink](http://j2y.117.mywebsitetransfer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Untitled-4.jpg)
![Untitled 5
Joanna Potratz
Pen and ink](http://j2y.117.mywebsitetransfer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Untitled-5.jpg)
![Untitled 6
Joanna Potratz
Pen and ink](http://j2y.117.mywebsitetransfer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Untitled-6.jpg)
“I didn’t have an internet or computer until last year so I was not very well informed. It was only when I got online that I realised what it was that I had been drawing for the past 20 years! I work on A4 Bristol paper sheets of using a compass (drafting), a ruler, a pencil and a black ink fountain pen only. When I have an idea for a new image I take a pencil and ruler and start to sketch it out. The next stage involves filling in the fields with a fountain pen. Any little mistake disqualifies the piece and means I have to start again from beginning which can be a very frustrating process.”
![Untitled 7
Joanna Potratz
Pen and ink](http://j2y.117.mywebsitetransfer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/untitled-7.jpg)
![Untitled 8
Joanna Potratz
Pen and ink](http://j2y.117.mywebsitetransfer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/untitled-8.jpg)
![Untitled 9
Joanna Potratz
Pen and ink](http://j2y.117.mywebsitetransfer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/untitled-9.jpg)
“I had no inspiration from other artists simply because didn’t know any until last year when I discovered Op Art. Since then my interest in the art of others has grown and I often visit art galleries.”
![Untitled 10
Joanna Potratz
Pen and ink](http://j2y.117.mywebsitetransfer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/10.jpg)
![Untitled 11
Joanna Potratz
Pen and ink](http://j2y.117.mywebsitetransfer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/11.jpg)
![Untitled 12
Joanna Potratz
Pen and ink](http://j2y.117.mywebsitetransfer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/12.jpg)
“My long time love is astronomy and watching the sky. I love seeing a sun dog (parhelia) or other halo. The colours of the sky near the sea in North Poland where I live are the most beautiful art I have ever seen.”
![Joanna at work](http://j2y.117.mywebsitetransfer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Joanna-at-work.jpg)
If you would like to contact Joanna, you can email her on joannapotratz@tlen.pl