Artist Statement
My landscapes are about the joy of nature and the colors it offers us. I paint with colors that evoke feelings of the first brilliant seconds of sunrise and the last fiery moments of sunset. Expressing those feelings through the use of bold, vibrant highlights and shadows of violet hues is my signature. I paint tributes to the mountains, fields and trees in the hopes it will slow us down long enough to appreciate them. Every painting is a challenge to examine the colors of our world and reconnect with nature.
Biography
Joe A. Oakes was a curious and observant child that started drawing at the age of five. He has been painting full time since 2008 and like other artists, previously worked at other things including substitute teacher, art consultant and graphic designer. Oakes has survived cancer and the loss of a child and has used these life changing events to propel his art career forward. His landscapes burn with the excitement of bold, bright color and draw on scenes from all over the U.S. but especially the Southwest and the state of California. Oakes’ work offers a new perspective on color and place while offering a meditative sense of calm, happiness and reverence for the land. He holds a BFA from California State University, Fullerton and among his awards are the Distinguished Artist Award from the City of La Quinta, CA in 2011 and a First Place Award for his work in “Visions” Exhibition at Chaffey Community Museum of Art in Ontario, CA in 2019. Oakes resides near Riverside in Southern California and currently is represented in Prescott, AZ at Van Gogh’s Ear and at Romero Street Gallery in Albuquerque, NM.
Recent Awards
Special Merit Award, “Acrylics Show”, Art & Color 365, Online, 2023
Honorable Mention, “Colors Show”, Grey Cube Gallery, Online, 2023
Honorable Mention, “Bold Expressions”, Sacramento Fine Art Center, Sacramento, CA, 2020 Best in Show, “Nature of Color Show” Art Brut 27, Online, 2020
Third Place, “5th Annual Landscapes Juried Exhibition”, Fusion Art, Palm Springs, CA, 2020 First Place, “Visions”, Chaffey Community Museum of Art, Ontario, CA, 2019
