About the Artist

Joseph Ziolkowski is a fourth generation Montanan, born in 1975 in Lewistown, Montana. As a young artist he was influenced by his family many of whom art artists themselves, Clarence Cuts The Rope a deceased local artist taught Joe's brother Peter for some time in the early 80's. Anne Armont a well known oil painter, who worked for Joe's father taught Joe oil painting classes in the late 80's. Jim Borgreen a Montana wildlife artist was Joe's art teacher in high school.

After high school Joe pursued his studies in graphic design and illustration at the Seattle Art Institute. After graduating in 1997 with a degree in Visual Communications, he did contract work for two years for Humongous Entertainment, a childrens animation company in Redmond, WA. Well two years of company life was enough for him and he was wanting something much more from the core of our creative source. Joe happend to meet Dan Deegan a kindred spirit at Pikes Place Market where Dan sold his work. He was fortunate enough to apprentice under the well known Seattle artist,watercolor guru, ex marine, and vietnam veteran. For close to two years Joe did underpainting, matting and framing, as well as common duties and home construction for the militant 50 year old artist. Dan's lessons were straight forward and old school. After Dans untimely death from cancer in August 1999 Joe chose to move back to his roots in Montana. Under the nurturing wing of his mother Etoile, he progressed in building a small body of work. She had Joe signed up for shows within a year and was networking like a queen bee. Clearly nothing had changed from the early childhood years when she would drag him to art classes at the local art center. The move back home brought not only a new chapter with his art and family but a new soul mate Bree Stanley and her daughter Hayden. Bree and Hayden were a new source of inspiration and grounding energy for him and in August 2002 they were happily married. Joe has taught Hayden many things with art. They have worked on countless art projects together for school and have even helped design sets for school plays. With the new changes in his life Joe found that being an artist in Montana was an even tougher game. Like the population of most towns in Montana, sales were small and far and few between. Art was not cutting it and like most Montana artists Joe need to suppliment his income with the dreaded "real job". In the same month of the wedding Joe took another plunge and made his favorite color brown when he was hired on with U.P.S. as a part time employee. Since then Joe has completed several commission works, illustrated a childrens book titled "Piper Finnigan and the Rainforest Cure", recreated local pictographs as hangable artwork for the public, and has donated to many local causes. In the past years he has won many achievement awards which are listed below.

Award of Merit 1995 Art Intitute of Seattle Student Exhibition, Visual Communications 2nd Place
Lewistown Art Center Art Auction, Peoples Choice Award, March 2000
Lewistown Art Center Art Auction, Peoples Choice Award, March 2001
Montana Watercolorists Society, Peoples Choice Award and Third Place, May 2000
Montana Watercolorists Society, Peoples Choice Award, May 2001
Montana Watermedia Show, 19th Annual National Juried Exhibition, Honorable Mention, October 2001
Montana State Ducks Unlimited Artist for 2006.
Montana Watercolorists Society, First Place Award, May 2010

In 2005 Joe became a delivery driver with UPS full time. It has offered a means of networking in a small community and a chances to encounter wildlife and landscapes every day. Like an artists work, no two days are the same. In 2006 Joe and Bree welcomed the birth of their daughter Sophia, who like her father is an artist at heart. Then in 2010 the family was welcomed by the birth of their son Cooper, who has been known already at the age of 1 to get his hands dirty in some paint!

With the recent sudden loss of his mother in July of 2011, he has had to rebuild his spirit and really look at what he is about and where he is taking his artistic path. While UPS offers stability and priceless health insurance, nothing satisfies Joe more than creating with his mind and heart and seeing someone take it home and loving it forever.

Joe's paintings are striking, vibrant watercolors depicting Montana landscapes, wildlife and the Big Sky way of life. He seeks to break the rules in his application of watercolors and other media and is always strives for dynamic color, contrast in light and a story for every creation . He has recently adapted the application of watercolor on uncommon surfaces such as wood, bone, metal and horn.
You may view Joe's art at the following Lewistown locations.
Moccasin Mountain Gallery – Lewistown, MT
Lewistown Art Center
Creative Visions Framing - Lewistown, MT
Personal Studio – Lewistown, MT
Paradise Artworks – Livingston, MT

On-going shows:
Charlie Russell Art Auction
3rd week in March 2004
You can reach us at:
Originalz.net
zedzart@gmail.com
Joe Ziolkowski