Joe Ihns

I settled into my early artistic career after receiving a MFA in painting as a painter showing in small galleries and doing short term teaching work. During this, I would design and craft fine residential furniture for clients. 10 years later the furniture path took over most of my studio time. I successfully designed, built, showed, and received awards for my one off furniture for more than 12 years leaving painting behind.

My diagnosis came when I was 40. At first I tried to ignore the tremors and continued to work with the large woodworking machines that were necessary for my craft. It wasn’t long until weakness and unsteadiness made me cut back significantly in my craft leading to stopping completely. I couldn’t hide or ignore the PD symptoms any longer.

It took a decade of inactivity before I started drawing. Then came watercolor painting. Still trying to disguise my tremors the pieces fell short of what I expected of myself. At the same time my eyesight was changing due to the progression and my diagnosis was shifted to PSP. I continued to be in the studio shifting to my early passions involving oil painting. I have learned to embrace the different marks I make now and my unusual vision.

I now show regularly and although the physical nature of being an artist still hampered by my movement disorder. I paint on.