Joseph Dawley

Realism was Joe's first love, following the works of the old masters. He loved capturing the wrinkles of the old men, the softness of the velvet, the shimmer of wine in a glass - no detail was beyond his scrutiny! And it was this ability that led him to such accolades as being commissioned to paint the official portrait of Mother Seton for the 1975 canonization.

Joe taught himself impressionism in the early 1980's, after a surgical procedure for his Parkinson's symptoms left him without the fine motor control needed to continue in his realistic style. He quickly learned to recognize and enjoy the freedom of the impressionistic style, allowing more creativity with his strokes and colors. Unwittingly, his tremor became a tool. As he held his brush in his right hand, the arm would shake, and he used that "vibration" to make the "controlled" dapples evolve into a magnificent painting.

Even in his final years, when dementia had robbed him of so much, his love and strong desire to create art was very evident. The nursing home he was in set up a studio area for him and scheduled daily studio time for Joe where he created yet another style of art. Joseph Dawley was a true artist in every sense of the word, his deep passion shining through, onto the beautiful timeless canvases that continue to live on.