- Words by Sean McIntyre Photography by Don Denton

Joe Coffey strives to get to know his subjects before setting his brush to canvas. Though this might be a commonplace approach among artists, complicating Joe91裸聊视频檚 task is that his subjects are most often four-legged members of the animal kingdom.

The Victoria-based artist usually begins by looking through countless reference photos. Scrolling through images of creatures both domestic and wild, Joe awaits a spark of inspiration.

91裸聊视频淭he expression is always key for me and something inside me thinks I can tease it out more and work with it into a painting,91裸聊视频� he says. 91裸聊视频淎nd then, once I get started, it feels like an excavation of sorts. That might sound strange, but I feel like I am actually looking for some kind of personality to appear, and when that happens, I always have this voice in my head that says, 91裸聊视频楢h, there you are, nice to meet you.91裸聊视频�91裸聊视频�

Working in a studio that slowly evolved in his apartment91裸聊视频檚 living room, Joe brings his animals to life with a realistic style that is in sharp contrast to the abstract backgrounds or settings within which they are cast.

Joe91裸聊视频檚 paintings incorporate a tangible sense of drama, brought about by his intentional positioning of his subjects. In many of his works characters are looking 91裸聊视频渙ff screen91裸聊视频� towards something unknown and unseen by the viewer. Sometimes his backgrounds allude to a larger scene. It91裸聊视频檚 also very rare to see an entire animal pictured on his canvas, adding further intrigue to the imagining of what could lie just beyond the edge.

91裸聊视频淚 have never been interested in depicting my subjects in what you might think of as their normal environment. I find removing them from that heightens them somehow, setting them in this very simple background with perhaps an abstract element,91裸聊视频� he says. 91裸聊视频淸My subjects] well and truly are actors and models for me, and I create what I like to think of as theatrical tableaux. Freezing them in such a way that there is a hint of a narrative happening, or even just a visceral feeling when you look at it, is what I am trying to do,91裸聊视频� Joe says.

91裸聊视频淚 keep working at a painting until I have that feeling I just described within myself; it is a feeling more than a distinct complicated conceptual idea. Once I get that, I know I am on the right track, and then I send it out into the world and hope others respond in the same way.91裸聊视频�

91裸聊视频淚 tend to have an initial vision of how it will work, but then the magic happens when I come up against things that might not be working when I see it on the canvas, and so I have to adjust and make things up as I go to keep the painting moving forward.

91裸聊视频淚t is often really interesting when I look at the finished result compared to my initial idea. I even admit to patting myself on my own back when I see it is so much stronger than my initial idea,91裸聊视频� he adds with a chuckle.

In addition to doing commissions, which include both animal and human subjects, Joe has an ever-expanding body of work that you can see through his website ().

Here in Victoria he is represented by , where some of his work is currently exhibited. He is also working towards a solo show for that gallery that will occur in early 2024. Closer at hand is his participation in the annual Deck the Walls group art show, also with Madrona, which opens in early December.

91裸聊视频淚91裸聊视频檓 quite excited about the ideas I have for them and, as usual, a bit daunted about the execution. Always good, that feeling,91裸聊视频� he says, adding with a smile, 91裸聊视频淚t keeps me honest in my effort.91裸聊视频�

Story courtesy of , a Black Press Media publication
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