Artist Focus: Joe A. Oakes

Joe A. Oakes is an acrylic, landscape painter whose colorful work depicts scenes of the American Southwest. His paintings evoke feelings of the first brilliant seconds of sunrise and the last fiery moments of sunset, which he expresses through his signature use of bold, vibrant oranges and shadows of violet hues. “I want people to be excited by the colors of my work but also feel that sense of calm that comes from experiencing nature,” Oakes says.

Sunset Mesa Cliffs, acrylic on canvas, 22 x 28 in.

The artist says he was a curious and observant child that began drawing at age 5. He drew and painted mountain landscapes in the Midwest with no mountains for reference, but with a strong attraction and connection to them. It was when he finally moved to the West that he found the landscapes he had been painting as a child. Although he had a degree in fine arts, his concentration was not in studio art. Like other artists, Oakes had many previous occupations including graphic designer.

Cliffs in Sunset Splendor, acrylic on canvas, 24 x 24 in.

Oakes believes that all of life’s experiences have made him the artist he is today—each painting a tribute to the mountains, canyons and valleys of the West and Southwest that have always been a part of his spirit. —