Elephant – Tenderness on Borrowed Time

All species of elephants are critically endangered and will soon be only a memory. Fewer than 500,000 elephants remain in the wild globally across all species. The total population continues a steady downward trend. Rising temperatures due to human-caused climate change trigger evermore dangerous wildfires and severe droughts, reducing the water and food supplies that these massive animals need to survive, and cause severe heat stress as they are increasingly unable to deal with an overheating planet. Poachers hunt elephants for their tusks to sell illegal ivory on the black market. International criminal networks fuel this demand, despite global trade bans. Encroaching human populations have converted their natural forests and savannas into farms, roads, and towns, cutting off ancient migration routes. As their habitats shrink, elephants often wander onto farmlands in search of food and water, leading farmers to kill them. (International Fund for Animal Welfare & World Wildlife Federation)

Joan was born and raised in Philadelphia, where her lifelong impulse to interpret the world through visual art first took root. She began formal painting studies in the Chicagoland area in the early 2000s, training for two decades under artist Enid Silverman and embracing Silverman’s deep affection for oil on canvas. Her work reflects the influence of frequent moves and travels within the US and abroad. Adopting North Dallas as home in the 2020's, her life experiences and travels continue to shape her evolving artistic language. Each new life chapter becomes a catalyst for transformation on the canvas, reflecting an ever-deepening dialogue between her inner experience and the world around her.