Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Joe's love of nature and the outdoors brought him to rural Pennsylvania in the early 1980's, where he settled in the quaint, historic town of Wiconisco. Primarily a self-taught woodworker, Joe's educational credentials include the Streets of Brooklyn University and the School of Hard Knocks, as well as an associates degree from Bond Business College, El Paso, Texas. His 34+ years of service in the US Navy, Annapolis, Maryland and the Pennsylvania National Guard round out his education and life experience.
After retiring from the military, Joe wanted to do art shows with his artist wife, Chris. He got the idea of making rustic tables featuring small wildlife images painted by his wife. The table idea did not work very well, but painting wildlife on wood did. And so an entirely new venue was added to the Walnut Street Studio line of artwork.
Joe tends to shy away from the limelight, choosing instead to focus it on his wife and her paintings. He states that, after spending a lifetime in the military, he has " absolutely no artistic ability" and, when asked about his contributions to the business, states, "I drive the truck."
