"I did not start out going to art school, but directed my education to chemistry. My art is mostly self-taught. Except for grade school art classes, my first instruction from a professional artist was with Mr. Leon Koschokos, a Ukranian born, Paris trained artist. With Leon I learned the correct way to mix colors and to paint with oils and watercolor."

Joe was fortunate to have studied with Leon Koschokos for nearly three years in Buffalo, New York before coming to Colorado and attending Colorado State University. While attending CSU, he has taken courses in medical illustration, physical anthropology and figure drawing.

Presently, he is studying with a figure drawing group at the Westin Academy of Dance and Arts.

His travels have led him to Costa Rica to hunt sea snakes to collect their toxic venom. Journeys around the globe include Peru, Bolivia, Cuzco, the Soviet Union, Finland, France and an opportunity to visit the historic castles in the United Kingdom. He has visited or passed through all of the contiguous lower 48 states, however, Colorado still holds the greatest appeal for him.

Joe has received awards for his watercolors in New York as well as here in Colorado.