Joy Connell

I was born in London in 1966 and spent my early childhood longing to live in the country as I loved nature, animals and the beauty and peace of the English countryside. City life just wasn’t for me! Aged 11 I got my wish. My family and I moved to Yorkshire, and I happily lived amongst the rolling hills surrounding Huddersfield. It was a feast for my artistic eye! Luscious green hills, big wide skies, lots of animals and all the seasonal changes for a never ending story of colour and form. I loved it!

Aged 18 I moved to the flat plains of York to study nursing which was to become my chosen career for the next 32 years and my arty nature was for the time, squashed. However, the city of York fascinated me with its old minster, buildings and streets, a very different but delightful study to my eyes and I drank it in greedily! I was enchanted and awed by York Minster and bought a beautiful sketch of it. This sketch inspired me to start to draw again and so Joy the artist slowly started to emerge.

In 1998 my husband, sons and I had the opportunity to escape the rather cold and wet climate of England to move to Brisbane which is where I have settled and remained. A different country with very different flora, fauna and climate presented a smorgasbord for a budding artist. We moved to Jimboomba, up onto the bushy Birman Range and with its native animals and plants in abundance the impulse to start drawing and painting hit me once more.

I have always had an artistic nature right from early childhood. I loved to paint and draw animals, flowers and scenery. What was an instinctive inclination as a child is now fast becoming my main focus in life. I am kept very busy between my nursing career and artistic pursuits! My artworks are realistic and are known for their vibrancy, detail, light, colour and expression. I paint with high quality acrylic paint on canvas or sketch with pencil on good quality art paper. I have completed several commissions for clients in recent years. They consist of large, lively floral blooms, dog portraits and paintings developed from client specifications.

Awards and Recognition

More Info

Exhibitions

2018 :For Our Love of Animals- Able Art Gallery Loganlea
WOW - Works of Women -Gallery 6/31 Bowen Hills
Glimpses of the Great South East - Royal Brisbane and Womens Hospital
The Royal Brisbane Show
Mundarang Art Show Perth
The Able Art Gallery members exhibition

2017 :Lions Art Extravaganza Garden City Westfiled shopping centre
LAA Members Exhibtion The Able Gallery, Loganlea x 2,
2017 Guest painter at the Blooms 1 and 2 workshop Brisbane - Jacqueline Coates

Royal Brisbane and Womens Hospital June 2017
Purple and Gold Charity Art Auction The Whitehouse of Waterford QLD
Black and White exhibition Able Gallery March 2017 Loganlea Qld
13CHILD charity Art Auction The Hilton Hotel Brisbane 2016

Exhibiting Galleries

Able Art Gallery Loganlea Qld

Other

Completed several private commissions

Courses and workshops attended

2018 Copic ink workshop
Mixed media and ink workshop
Life drawing class

2017 MMFA by Jacqueline Coates
Art residency MMFA Adelaide

2016 Blooms 1 and 2 Jacqueline Coates
How to paint Blooms e- course

Support to Charities
2018 The Orangutan Project
SEQK9-Rescue Qld
The Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital Burns Unit.

Visit Artist's website here.