Born in Ashburton (New Zealand) to a Dutch father and Kiwi mother, Joy de Geus started her career as a Graphic Designer in Christchurch. After three years of working as a commercial artist, she moved to the Chatham Islands and made a name for herself as a landscape and portrait artist. After five years of immersing herself in nature, Geus traveled on to Europe.

 

In Europe Geus studied Fine Art in Angers (France) for two years, then moved to Amsterdam where she continued her art studies. She holds a postgraduate degree in Art with a Tertiary Teaching diploma.

 

The artist’s New Zealand roots eventually drew her back to her homeland, however; now she works as a part-time Art teacher on the Kapiti Coast and in Wellington.

 

Due to her nomadic lifestyle, the practical aspects of watercolour dominated the direction her work took. Geus finds her inspiration in the vibrancy of the New Zealand colour palette and the lush natural environment she is surrounded by. The two different mediums she specializes in – watercolour and batique – strive to convey a sense of transparency and layering that is similarily found in printing styles.

 

Geus has exhibited across New Zealand, particularly in the Wellington region.