Joan has had a passion for painting and drawing ever since she won her first painting competition at the age of four years and 10 months. Although the majority of Joan's work involves painting basically anything with fur or feathers, she has over the years depicted many landscape, botanical and geological compositions. In addition, she take on commissioned paintings, ranging from dogs, cats and horses, to cows, pigs, badgers and the strangest request of all, a Puma - fortunately never sighted in person!

Her favourite medium is gouache, which Joan believe gives her the ability as an artist to capture not only the subtle colours and textures of an animal's coat, but also great depth and a detailed yet sympathetic reality to each painting.

Joan lives with her husband Ian in a renovated, stone-built, Victorian cottage in Shotley Bridge. Surrounded by this peaceful and picturesque area of the North East of England countryside, she does not have to look far for inspiration.