Joyce Turk has lived and worked around Washington, D.C. for the past eleven years, studying with Alan Flatmann, Walter Bartman, John Seery-Lester, and William Herring. Ms. Turk's forte is pastels which she employs with sensitivity in a mix of realistic and impressionistic styles. She prefers to paint all prima, composing without initial sketches, then massing form and color to develop pieces.

Influenced artistically by her father, Ms. Turk has combined a career in science with 20 years of continuing art production. Academically, Ms. Turk concentrated in livestock production, attending the Ohio State University for undergraduate and Cornell University for graduate studies. Between these stints of formal training, she joined the U.S. Peace Corps where she served in the Philippine Islands. Following that service, she backpacked alone through Southeast Asia. Her sense of adventure has led her in a myriad of directions, but her interest in international livestock development has guided her in that journey.

Ms. Turk paints wildlife, domestic animals, and landscapes rich in design and color. She compares exploring the world of art to exploring her own wonder-filled world; one that encompasses the jungles of Borneo to African savannahs, the altiplano of South America to the majestic Himalayas. Following the paths of early explorers in her endeavors has led Joyce Turk toward a new horizon.

Ms. Turk has participated in group and solo shows, art festivals and other exhibitions. Ever ready to capture a moment, she carries her art materials wherever she travels. She is most drawn to dramatic light which transforms simple scenes into exciting and memorable moments. Spending half a lifetime exploring the nooks and crannies of the world, Ms. Turk describes her adventures in painting by quoting Marcel Proust: "The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes."