Born in 1925, John Joy is one of a few artists today devoted to the art of plein-air painting of the Canadian landscape. The subtle variations in light within his watercolours and acrylics are evidence of this. No camera could interpret the translucency of sky and snow with the depth of perception that John displays.
The same is true of his tremendous sense of colour. The kind of visual truth that John Joy presents in his work can only be achieved by direct contact with nature and its studious contemplation. John’s philosophy is; to be a true artist, one must experience the changes in atmosphere, temperature, color and mood of the outdoors.
The row houses, cramped dwellings of Beverly, Markham, Augusta streets and Wales Ave., Kensington Market with the garages and backyards, all held fascination for John’s imagination and he soon became famous for his interesting little paintings of Toronto’s heart of the city.
His early mentors were Doris McCarthy and Carl Schaefer. John Joy is a founding member of the Society of Canadian Artists and an active member of the Toronto Arts and Letters Club. He has also exhibited with the Canadian Society of Painters in Watercolour. His work can be found in numerous private collections throughout Canada and Europe.
