Joanne Ayley

Joanne’s interest in art has been lifelong. She has explored design, coloured pencils, pastels, pen and ink, block printing, film and animation, illustration, cartooning, life drawing, watercolour, silk painting, paper collage and tile mosaics.

At McGill University, she studied film and communications with a view to a career in film or advertising. After writing advertising copy for a major retailer, she took a side step into the group insurance industry where she progressed to writing and designing marketing materials. She followed that up with a freelance career in marketing services as a graphic designer and writer.

Shortly before retiring, Joanne had a chance to spend a few months focussing on drawing and painting in Vancouver. That summer kickstarted her love of all things art and all things British Columbia. Since then, she has relocated to British Columbia and embraced painting. She can regularly be found in her studio working on her latest inspiration.

Joanne has studied art at George Brown College, Toronto (design, illustration, life drawing, watercolour, cartooning). She has taken drawing and painting classes with international artist Laara WilliamSen (White Rock, BC), Louise Cordingly Zych (Etobicoke, Ontario), Susan Falcon-Hargraves (Scottsdale, Arizona) and Lynda Colbeck (TOSH), as well as numerous workshops in other media.