Where are you painting from and what have you been doing to keep busy?

I am painting in my studio in Vestal, NY. I primarily earn a living painting commissioned portraits, and with several commissions currently on hold due to the pandemic, I have been keeping busy painting smaller personal pieces. My submission for The Great Paint In is a still life, but I have also been enjoying painting scenes around our garden and surrounding property.


How does this piece differ, if at all, from your typical painting style and how did you find inspiration from your surroundings for it?

Stylistically, this piece is in keeping with my typical still lifes – perhaps slightly more detailed than my other subject matter, since a still life does not move. The painting was inspired by the loss of a beloved pet duck, and I designed the composition around several of her feathers that my wife had saved. It is always a challenge for me to find personal significance in a still life (as opposed to just setting up a bunch of random objects to paint), and so I was grateful to have something meaningful to capture in this painting.


What is one positive that has come from this experience for you?

The lockdown period has given me time and space to refocus on my health and establish new rhythms for daily life, which I hope I can maintain even as things open back up and the pace of life increases again.


What is one of your favorite pieces in the collection from a fellow artist?

There are so many impressive pieces in the collection, but I particularly enjoyed the color harmony in "Life Itself" by Seth Tummins.


Learn more about Joseph's artwork and story here.