About Joe

Click Here for an episode of "Consider This" from WTVP hosted by Christine Zak-Edmonds that aired in September 2023 Christine interviews me.

I was born in Bloomington, Illinois. It did not take long for me to discover art as my passion at a very young age. I grew up drawing on anything and everything. Give me a pencil and a grocery bag and the doodling began. I enjoyed entertaining brothers and sisters with my drawing. Click here to visit my caricature page to find out how I can entertain at your next party or function, or have your own caricature drawn. My interest for art continued through high school and Illinois State University where I was a comprehensive art major specializing in visual communications and commercial art.
During my time at ISU, I drew editorial cartoons for the Vidette school newspaper and had a regular cartoon strip “Joe College”.I was also the art director for the campus TV station “TV10 News”.

I did my internship at WEEK-TV in Peoria..My first job out of ISU was that as art director for Brown’s Sporting Goods, a sporting goods retail store chain. During that time, WEEK-TV approached me about being on a kids TV show, famous years before, which they were bringing back to the airwaves. The Captain Jinks show was a big favorite of mine during my growing up years, so I embraced the idea and the show became a big hit again. Click here to visit my Captain Jinks page for more about my TV days as Peoria’s kid’s artist.

During that time I began doing interactive drawing demos at schools and for many different organizations. I have an entertaining, inclusive presentation that has been a hit for over 30 years. Click here to visit my art party and class page to schedule me to come and instruct your group or school’s art’s day my famous “basic shapes” teaching technique. I have also teach acrylic and watercolor painting classes to folks of all ages that are a lot of fun. I can come to your home, club or business and teach your group to paint and draw.

Over the years, my regular career has been in the advertising and media fields that included long runs on the management teams at WEEK-TV and the Peoria Journal Star.. During that time, I began oil and watercolor painting, and I continue to take freelance illustration jobs.. I do art fairs throughout the year, and you click here to view some of my prints by visiting my gallery page. I have sold many paintings and prints over my career. This site offers limited edition signed and numbered prints of several Peoria area communities as well.

Thanks for visiting JoeTheArtGuy.com. Come back frequently as the site is regularly updated. If you have any questions, or want information on my drawing instruction sessions or caricature drawing for your event, email me at joemc@mtco.com

CLICK HERE to visit my linkedIn profile

CLICK HERE To read a story published in the East Peoria Times Courier about my watercolor classes at the Fondulac Park District

CLICK HERE to read a Meanwhile Back in Peoria blog by Marty Wombacher as

he visits Kathy and I at our home and we talk about my career and art