Hospice of Santa Barbara welcomes local artist Dr. Daniel Joseph who is living with Parkinson’s disease and will display his art at the Leigh Block Gallery located within Hospice of Santa Barbara on August 2, 2015 for a special, one-day exhibition.
Dr. Joseph, 82, was diagnosed with Parkinson’s shortly after his retirement from the medical field in 1999. Having been healthy his entire life, Dr. Joseph went into denial but his symptoms progressed to the point that hand tremors made it difficult to even hold a glass of water. However, a friend soon suggested that Dr. Joseph paint with her, leading to a new passion that acted almost as a meditation.
Dr. Joseph found that when he focused on his artwork, his hand didn’t shake as he moved the paintbrush across the canvas. Dr. Joseph went onto attend art classes through Santa Barbara City College’s adult education program, and he hopes others will realize that they can paint as well, as it’s a medium he didn’t begin exploring until after his diagnosis.
While Dr. Joseph paints family members and wildlife, he most often finds himself painting flowers, as his father had owned a flower shop. When his father died, Dr. Joseph took over the business at a young age and gained a connection with flowers early on. He most often paints using oil on canvas.
Dr. Joseph’s artwork has been featured at Hospice of Santa Barbara and has held exhibits at his own home, among other locations.
On Sunday, August 2 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Hospice of Santa Barbara will host a wine and hors d’oeuvres open house reception for the new exhibit, “Parkinson's: Along the Road to Hope.”
Dr. Joseph will donate a portion of the proceeds from his art sales to Hospice of Santa Barbara, Inc., a volunteer hospice organization.
