Therese Lydia Joseph
ARTIST STATEMENT
Painting the world - one story at the time
Therese's approach to her art is characterized by her creative ability for building unique textures using a variety of materials such as newsprint, textiles, sand, grains, gesso, or spackle compound, regardless of whether she's working on figurative/abstract or abstract paintings. Additionally, she uses various drawing tools and applies paint with unconventional utensils, moving beyond the traditional brush. Her artworks always convey a meaningful message and are known for their vibrant colors and bold intuitive brushstrokes.
Figures and Faces (mixed media)
Therese sees her role as a storyteller, using her paintings to convey honest emotions, genuine moods, and daring dreams. Her passion lies in depicting figures, particularly women. She thoroughly enjoys how personality and temperament emerge from an empty canvas.
In Therese's paintings, each figure is a snapshot of a moment frozen in time. These moments may be tinged with sadness, difficulty, injustice, or unwanted circumstances, but Therese's focus is on revealing the hidden resilience, beauty, and strength within her subjects. Consequently, her figures often wear pensive expressions, reflecting the complexity of their inner worlds and the struggles they may face.
Through her art, Therese seeks to inspire viewers to recognize a flicker of hope and an unseen depth of beauty and strength present in her subjects. Each figurative painting serves as a testament to the human spirit's ability to find moments of grace and honor to endure and overcome, even amidst adversity.
Flames (a body of abstract work)
Therese draws inspiration from the dandelion, a plant often overlooked as a weed but possessing remarkable resilience and beauty. Her choice of the name "Dandelion Art Studio" perfectly encapsulates the essence of her work, symbolizing both strength and delicacy.
Therese's spontaneous approach and bold brushstrokes suggest a dynamic energy in her creations, while her vibrant color palette adds depth and intensity to her pieces. It's clear that her art reflects not only her admiration for the dandelion but also her own creative spirit.
Flowers, Flavors, Feathers (from imagination)
Therese has a unique and intuitive approach to her art! By delving into new subjects such as Flowers, Flavors, and Feathers, she demonstrates a willingness to push the boundaries of her creativity. Carrying her camera everywhere allows Therese to capture moments of inspiration in the world around her. However, her decision not to use these photos as templates or references speaks to her dedication to maintaining the purity of her artistic process. Instead, she relies on her intuition and imagination to guide her creations, resulting in pieces that are truly unique, spontaneous and inventive. Her work is always fresh and distinctive.
BIOGRAPHY
Therese Lydia Joseph was born and educated in Switzerland. She was a young adult when she moved to North Vancouver, Canada where she shared her talents and skills with children at her two privately owned after school activity clubs. She became a valued individual in her community and was selected to use her artistic talents to successfully manage several community funded art projects with children and teens.
Therese is also a published Writer and Illustrator of 5 children’s books in French. These books are presently used in French Immersion Schools throughout Canada.
She sold her business and enrolled herself in art classes at Emily Carr University of Art and Design. Therese is a self-directed artist, who took many art workshops with well established artist. These workshops include life-drawing, abstraction, mixed media, encaustic, composition, intuitive painting, painting big and more. She chose her mentors carefully and learned from the best.
Her newfound passion for intuitive figurative-abstract art grew quickly into a full-time career. Teaching children, teens, adults and seniors was an important part of her career.
She co-founded an artist group (5enses) consisting of 5 women who exhibited together and supported each other on the uphill journey as professional artists until 2015, when each of the artists chose to venture out on their own.
Therese has received several grants and awards and exhibits her work in Canada and Europe.
Presently she is working from her home-based studio in North Vancouver, Canada.
CURRICULUM VITE
Education:
2010 – 2016 Simply Drawing/Life Drawing program
2006 – 2013 Visual Artist (Self-directed) Selected Mentors are: Jeanne Krabbendam, Don Farrell, Lori Goldberg, Nurieh Mozaffari, Steven Aimone and more.
2005 – Anatomy and Life-Drawing, Langara College, Vancouver BC CA
2002 – 2004 Emily Carr University of Art & Design, Vancouver BC CA
1977 – Early Childhood Education, BC CA
1977 – Kindergarten Teaching Diploma, Switzerland
Work History:
present: Professional Visual Artist and Art Mentor
previous: Teacher, Community Art Project Leader, Mixed Media Art Instructor for children, adults and seniors, Author/Illustrator of 5 children’s books in French
GALLERY REPRESENTATION
ARPS Gallery, Amsterdam NL
City Scape Gallery, North Vancouver BC CA
Zatista Gallery, Pennsylvania USA
Arto Galleria, Laval, Monteral CA
Saatchi Art, London UK
1stdibs Gallery, New York USA
POMO Art Gallery, Port Moody, BC, CA
Kariton Gallery, Abbotsford, BC, CA
SELECTED SHOWS
2025 - Group Show Harmony, Silk Purse Gallery, West Vancouver, BC CA
2024 - Solo Show Women, Words and Wisdom, Gertrude Zack Gallery, Vancouver, BC CA
2024 - Group Show Women in Art, Kariton Gallery, Abbotsford, BC CA
2017 – Solo Show Art in the Hall, District of West Vancouver, BC CA
2016 – Group Show Seymour Gallery, Deep Cove. North Vancouver, BC CA
2015 – Solo Show Let’s Face It – Charles Clark Gallery, Vancouver BC CA
2015 – Group Show Windows On Culture, Ferry Building Gallery, West Vancouver CA
2014 – Duo-Show ARPS Gallery, Amsterdam Netherlands
2014 – Duo–Show Mystique, Leigh Square, Port Coquitlam BC CA
2013 – Duo-Show Colour Burst, Silk Purse Gallery, West Vancouver BC CA
2011 – Solo Show Ariel’s, West Vancouver BC Canada
2011 – Group Show Brush Stroke Gallery, Montreal CA
2010 – Solo Show Heimwärts von Auswärts, Bern CH
ACHIEVMENTS
2015 – Special Merit, Figurative Art Competition, Light, Space and Time Gallery
2015 – Special Recognition, Figurative Art Competition, Light Space and Time Gallery
2014 – City of North Vancouver Grant Award, Arts Office – Mural Project
2013 – Don S. Williams Grant Award 2013 – Faces of the North Shore Project
2013 – City of North Vancouver Grant Award, Arts Office – Teen Parent Project
2012 – Best of Artists International – Honorable mention for “Dance of Dreams”
2011 – L’Arche – Honorable Mention for “Tree Sisters”
PUBLICATIONS
2016 - 'Relax. Restore. Renew’, Incite 4, North Light Books
2015 - ‘The Art of Storytelling’, Best of Mixed Media, page
2015 - Collection Soleil: 5 children’s books in French, Modulo Publishing, Quebec CA
2010 - Artists of British Columbia, Art book by Leighdon Studio Gallery, BC CA