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Watercolor Artist Joyce Eesley Continues to Give Back to Art & Education

This weekend, Mount Mary University’s enormous front lawn is transformed into an art gallery.  The 46th annual Starving Artists show features art work from more than 200 local and national artists, all selected via jury.

One of the featured artists at this year’s edition is Milwaukee watercolorist Joyce Eesley, who has worked at a number of museums and galleries, including the Museum of Wisconsin Art.  Eesley has also worked for a long time as a K-12 art teacher in the Milwaukee area. 

"I think that art is so important in the school system. It helps the students with the whole gambit of the curriculum," says Eesley.

Even though her teaching days are behind her, Eesley still recalls past students and their talents to inspire her and her work.

"I walk around the room and was amazed at the art work that they were doing," Eesley says. "And I just shake my head...thinking, 'That's something I never thought of or couldn't do.'"

Inspired by Dutch still life artists, Eesley combines her passion in watercolor by teaching and painting everything she experiences in realistic details. Often beginning her paintings through sketching or photographing something she encounters, Eesley favors still life and flowers as painting subjects.

Joyce Eesley is one of the featured artists at this Sunday’s Starving Artists show at Mount Mary University, with proceeds from show sales benefiting the university and the Alumnae Scholarship Endowment. 

Bonnie North
Bonnie joined WUWM in March 2006 as the Arts Producer of the locally produced weekday magazine program Lake Effect.