Today we’d like to introduce you to Joy Farley.
Hi Joy , thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I started Joy Alyson Studio in July of 2022 with the vision of creating artwork that showed the beauty of Florida nature and the everyday. Growing up, I never was confident in my artistic abilities nor did I consider myself an artist. Then, when I was in high school, I wanted to make a linocut of Mt. Rainier for my father. After making that print and learning about the beautiful printmaking process, I was hooked and continued making linocuts constantly. Then, I began to make watercolor paintings and with much perseverance and patience, I honed in on my ability to draw and paint. In combination with a love to be outside and a desire to uncover that beauty with others, my shop began. Since that start in 2022, I’ve participated in gallery exhibitions, local markets, and house my art prints and designs in Framework Craft Coffee House. It amazes me how much my little shop has grown these past three years and I’m incredibly grateful for each person that has supported me.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I don’t think any sustainable growth would be without its challenges. There have been slow seasons in my business and there have been busy seasons. I believe, as with any entrepreneur, that there are many times where we doubt ourselves and I would say that’s the biggest hurdle to overcome. Moreover, it took me a while to find my audience and niche, but once I found it, everything just started to make sense and I think as a result my artwork became more authentic and honest.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I create fine art prints of my original watercolor paintings, stickers, stationery, apparel, screen prints, and lino prints. My work focuses on Florida flora and fauna as that is what I am most inspired by. I love to hike and be outside, and I’ll always take my drawing book and painting supplies. The landscape paintings you can find on my shop are all painted on-site and that is one of the things I specialize in. I have been painting a lot of native birds recently and that is my most well-known series to date. Currently, I’m working on pen and ink drawings of common birds found in the Florida Keys. Some will be turned into linocuts and some will stay pen and ink drawings. I’m very proud of them, as well as the birds calendar I created for 2025. Since the work I sell solely focuses on the beauty of our Florida home, I believe that sets my work apart from others. It’s somewhere you can find a piece of artwork that stems out of a love for the magnificence of Florida.
Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
I love being outside, gardening, paddle boarding, and painting while I’m out there! The humble brilliance of Florida is beyond words and it makes me happy to just be able to sit out there, soak it all in, and try to capture it with my painting or drawing. So, I’m really most happy when I’m outside and painting!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://joyalysonstudio.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joyalysonstudio/
