Joan Carver
Artist

For Florida artist Joan Carver, the desire to paint started when she was old enough to hold a paintbrush.  Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and raised her early years in Ohio, and western Pa, Joan was drawn by the ocean.  After finishing college in the Pittsburgh area,  Joan started her travels across the eastern states with her husband.  Joan, driven by her love for the impressionistic style art and the water, set out to discover her love of anything tropical. The nickname "misplaced southerner" became true when all of her sketchbooks of her vacations were filled with beach scenes, palms, shore birds, children playing in the sand, and the water.
After settling in Charlotte, North Carolina, Joan taught art in both private and public schools for over 23 years.  Her love of teaching unfolded the dream of her life, to share her experiences and knowledge of art with children by opening her own art school.  Joan owned and operated the art school "The Wizard of Art" in Concord, North Carolina (1 mile from Charlotte), for 16 years, where she brought the joy of art to both children and adults.  Joan was driven to expand the futures of every student who walked through the doors, by helping to mold the lives of her young students, many to become designers and architects.  Joan is currently working on a book depicting her many experinces of teaching and creating art over the years.  Her first published book titled "Joan Carver" contains a collection of her artwork; her second book, out in Feb. 2009 - titled "Making a Splash", contains artwork for a Solo Exhibit (Feb. 2009) by the same name...and proves that she making a splash, with her artwork, in the Jacksonville, FL area! 
Joan traveled throughout the United States, Mexico and many of the islands including: Puerto Rico, Aruba, Jamaica, Bahamas, St. Maarten, Turks & Caicos, Grand Cayman Islands, and Hawaii, fine tuning her love for the different styles she embraces.  The many workshops she attended, of well-known artists, explain the diverse art styles...staying current with new products and techniques were important, so she could share her information and knowledge with her students.  Oils and watercolors are her favorites, while she still plays with silk painting and pastels.
Now settled in Jacksonville, Florida, with her husband Garry.
Joan is a member of the Jacksonville Watercolor Society, Jacksonville Artists, the Plein-Air Artists of St. Augustine, the Art Association of St. Augustine, The Society of Collage Artists and The Cultural Center of Ponte Vedra Beach.
As an award-winning artist, Joan's work is currently exhibited in Stellers Gallery, San Marco, Jacksonville, FL, Archway Gallery, Atlantic Beach, FL., Trends in San Marco, Jacksonville, FL.,  Zeal Interiors in St. Augustine, FL., and Fogle Fine Art Gallery on Beach Blvd. in Jacksonville, FL.
Joan was featured in an article in the Jacksonville BUZZ Magazine in their February 2008 issue and has been contacted for an upcoming  article that is in the works for Joan and her art to appear in MORE Magazine, a National women's magazine, located in Manhattan, NYC, NY.