Joe A. Oakes  //  @joeaoakes

Joe A. Oakes was born in Chicago, Illinois in 1964. Having grown up in the city’s surrounding suburbs, his love of mountains and other natural scenes grew mostly from his own imagination. Throughout his life, Joe has always been fascinated by the natural world and how to represent it through drawing and painting. This interest was cultivated throughout his school years and further developed when he received his bachelors degree in fine art.

After completing his degree, Joe went right to work as a graphic designer, taking a break from his personal artistic endeavors. Soon he began painting again, creating small pieces in pastel before moving on to acrylic on canvas. But always working on his favorite subject, the landscape. He prefers studio painting as it allows for him to focus on pieces that are vibrant and colorful but also calming, allowing the viewer to place themselves within the scene.

Joe is also an art instructor, teaching painting classes and workshops in a variety media. He enjoys sharing  his enthusiasm for art with others and helps students to be successful in their own artistic endeavors.

His work has been displayed in both group and solo exhibitions regionally and nationally. He has also received numerous awards for his work.

Joe lives and works in the Inland Empire of Southern California. There he is surrounded by the beautiful mountains and natural beauty he loves to paint.

Statement
“Each painting is an emotional response to color… real or imagined but always felt. I choose to express those feelings through the use of bold, vibrant highlights and shadows of violet hues. My work is about the joy that color can bring into our lives. My aim is to promote an awareness of nature, especially its infinite use of color.” – Joe A. Oakes