Joan studied graphic art at Michaelis Art School Cape Town and studied Fine Art with Sidney Goldblatt for several years. She worked in Fibre Art and puppetry; mainly shadow theatre. She has illustrated over thirty books for children, many of which she has written herself and which have been published internationally. She won the HAUM Daan Retief Publishers Competition for children’s book illustration in 1986, the Katrina Harris Award for Children’s Book Illustration in 1991and the Oppenheim toy portfolio gold award in 2003. Joan has participated in exhibitions in Barcelona, Bratislava, Sarmede, Italy, New York and Japan. She lives with her husband and family in Johannesburg.

Some key dates:

1958-1959:	Studied Graphics at Michaels Art School (University of Cape Town).
1960:	Weaving and pottery at Johannesburg Technicon.
1962:	Got married (and subsequently had 3 daughters).
1967:	Worked for Commercial Publishers as a writer illustrator.
1970-1979:	Studied line, tonal values, composition, oil and acrylic painting, with Sidney Goldblatt.
1975-1976:	Chairman of Johannesburg Weavers Guild. Started making handmade books and calendars. Seven one man exhibitions in Johannesburg Cape Town and Durban.
1982:	Puppet Shadow shows for Johannesburg Civic and Pretoria State theatres and Alida Von Deventers Theatre.
1984:	First trade book published (Tafelberg)
1986:	Winner of Haum Daan Retief Publishers Competition for Children’s book illustrations.
1988:	Illustrations for Tselane exhibited at the 23rd Exhibition of Original pictures of International Children’s books, Japan.
1987-2001 & 2006:	Exhibited at the International Exhibition of Illustrations in Sarmede, Italy.
1991 & 1993:	Exhibited at the V and VI Pemi International Catalonia D’i Lustracio.
1993:	Exhibited at the Bienale of illustrations Bratislavia.
1991:	Won the Katrina Harris Award.
2002:	Won an Oppenheim Toy Gold Book Award.
2008:	Joined SCBWI!