Bio

Joseph Dolderer b.1985, American

As an artist, my desire is to develop a deep connection with my subject and bring more to the work than a still and photographic snapshot. Character and heart are as vital to me as faithfully representing a physical likeness. At its best, a portrait is a living testament of the person. The artist is tasked with identifying traits and characteristics that imbue life beyond the painted surface so that the image stands as a reflection of a living being long after artist and sitter close their time together. To observe and understand is my goal, and my paintings are a contemplation of that desire.


Biography
Joseph has been drawn to artistic expression since he was a child. His search for a atelier type school led him to Nelson Shanks and Studio Incamminati, the school he founded in 2002 with his wife Leona. From 2006 until 2010, when he graduated from their fine art program, he studied with some of the most talented artists in the country. After graduating, he received a fellowship and taught as an instructor at Studio Incamminati until 2016. The work and philosophy of Nelson Shanks had a profound impact on his studies, and he was fortunate to develop a friendship and work closely with the master during his studies as an assistant.

Joseph’s work has been featured in many fine art publications, including the covers of Fine Art Connoisseur and Philadelphia Medicine. His Painting ‘Fumiko’ was awarded second place and a purchase prize for The Art Renewal Center’s 2012/2013 International Salon. He received an honor award for his work ‘Ellie’ by the portrait society in 2014. He was one of four artists chosen by Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia to participate in Face to Face: The Craniofacial Program Portrait Project. In 2017 Joseph taught a master workshop in Bangalore India at Gallery G. Joseph was among several artists whose artwork was selected for the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith’s “teaching wall” designed to demonstrate the painting process to young artists. His online art class is available through the teaching website Bluprint.com. He has shown work in numerous exhibitions including Avery Galleries, Gratz Gallery, S. R. Brennen Fine Art, Santa Fe, The National Arts Club, the Philadelphia Youth Orchestra gala and The Union League of Philadelphia. His commissions and works hang in numerous private and public collections.
Joseph currently lives and maintains a studio in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, with his wife Alla and their two children, Emmanuel and Katherine.