Original oil painting on canvas by Joseph Stuart of Galena, Illinois.

Image size: 12" x 12"

Framed size: 12 7/8" x 12 7/8" x 1.75"

I grew up in the western suburbs of Chicago in the Fox River Valley. After attending college where I studied Art Education, I taught Art at the High School and College level for 40 years.  While teaching I had a studio and continually worked on my art, including attaining a Masters degree in Painting. The landscapes in northwestern Illinois continually inspire me to paint. Artists who have influenced me are the great Dutch artist Ruisdael and the American painter Fairfield Porter.

Traveling, camping and canoeing have always been integrated into my artwork. While I am moved by the vast riverscapes, I continue to be intrigued by the backwater areas of a river. The natural spaces where light meets the surface of water, creating refractions and reflections, develop a surface tension which I try to capture.

Find more of Joe's work here.