Joe Ferrante has been portraying nature and its creatures for the past 20 years. He has worked in oil, watercolour and gouache, but he finds acrylic best suited for his realistic style.

Born on the island of Malta, Europe, in 1951, Joe studied art and worked as a graphic artist. While there, he operated an art gallery from where he sold his early works, mainly landscape paintings, to tourists. In 1974, Joe and his wife Irene immigrated to Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, where he continued to work as a graphic artist in various printing shops. In the meantime, he continued to paint during his spare time.

It was in 1981 that Joe and Irene moved to Prince George, in northern British Columbia. He immediately fell in love with the magnificent land surrounding that city, and the abundant wildlife it contained. It was not long before he helped to build his own house and studio in a rural area on the outskirts of Prince George, from where he commenced to capture the regional landscape together with its wildlife on his canvases. His work gained popularity almost immediately, especially with local collectors, for its detailed realistic approach.

Available as a Giclee on Canvas (see originals page)

Joe is also an avid photographer, spending hours out in the field, shooting pictures for reference, and sketching ideas for prospective canvases. Each of his compositions starts with a concept, an inspiration, and is then sketched on paper and experimented with until is ready for execution. Joe's mastery of depth and distance evokes the three-dimensional space of natural landforms. He pays special attention to the tiniest of detail without, however, cluttering his subjects. His compositions are rich in colour and realism. He spends long hours on each depiction, and only when satisfied does he finally apply his signature.

Every year Joe donates some of his artwork to raise money for various wildlife and habitat organizations. He considers it an honour to be able to help the many charitable societies that call on him for his patronage.

Available as an Original or as a Giclee on Canvas (see originals page for more details)

Several of Joe's compositions have been rendered in Limited Edition Prints, which are distributed around Canada and the U.S. His work has been sold to collectors in Canada, U.S., Europe, Australia and Japan. He is also often commissioned to render special works for individuals, companies and corporations.

Ducks Unlimited Canada

"Northern Lights" (Size: 18 1/4 x 31 inches), has been selected for the 2003 Ducks Unlimited Art Program, and is one of 16 selected out of 500 entries. Prints of this piece to be sold at Ducks Unlimited functions. A limited number of artist's proofs will be made available for sale on this web site.

Joe has been involved with Ducks Unlimited Canada fund-raising projects for several years. In 1999, he was selected as British Columbia Ducks Unlimited "Artist of the Year" for the year 2000. His winning composition, titled "Chickadees and Crabapples", was also issued as a limited edition print. That same year, "Evening Song: Timber Wolves" was selected by Ducks Unlimited Canada for their National Art Print Portfolio, one of ten from over 350 entries from across Canada. Only 750 Limited Edition prints of this piece were issued, to be sold at Ducks Unlimited fund-raising projects across North America.

To see a selection of Joe Ferrante's work visit the Originals or Prints galleries. You can order online from this site using our order form. The artist also does commission work. Contact Joe Ferrante with your special request.

JOE FERRANTE ART STUDIO
10082 Old Summit Lake Road, Prince George
British Columbia, Canada V2K 5T1
Phone: (250) 962-8063
Email: joeferr@telus.net