My Story

Hey I’m Joel, welcome to my art page!

I grew up in the mountains of Papua New Guinea where my parents worked as missionaries, we moved there from Australia in 2000 and I graduated from an international high school there in 2017. I wasn’t a straight A student, I couldn’t stand school I would rather be out and about having fun. My passion for art started in grade 11 when I felt really trapped living in a small community, school was hard and life was harder. I enrolled in high school art and that class became my happy place, I had three hours of art each day after lunch where I could focus on my skills and keep growing as an artist, my teacher was really good, pushing me to do better. He saw something in me that I didn’t and pushed me to find it. Soon I was selling the art that I made in my art class to members of our community and I knew that that’s what I was meant to do! I graduated and moved back to Australia where I enrolled in uni because everyone else was. I quit two weeks later and began my business “Art By Joel” and since then God has blessed me with lots of sales and growth and interviews with local papers! I now live in Redcliffe Queensland with my family and produce art in a little room attached to the garage which I call my studio. I started with five acrylic colours and painted my first portrait which recently sold for $1900 I’m 21 years old and this is what I want to do. Thank you for all your support! 

-Joel Vanderduys

Thank you for taking the time to read this biography, I hope you enjoy my art!