Joseph Marshal Foster, an artist from Smith Falls, Ont., started volunteering at a local mission, where he not only distributed food but also talked to the homeless, learning their stories. These people became his friends and an important part of his life. Foster was struck by their faces, full of character and life experience, which inspired him to capture them on his canvases. He uses cardboard, seeing it as a symbol of the raw and honest reality of their lives, and then frames his work in gold, turning the ordinary into something extraordinary.
Foster earns a living through his art, although his clients usually prefer landscapes. Despite this, he chooses to paint his new friends because, as he says, an artist must be a true friend, not a temporary acquaintance. He meets them not only at the mission but also supports them outside of it, paying attention to their needs and desires.
He was inspired by National Film Board artist Douglas Manning, whom Foster met in his youth. Foster mainly works with oil paints, preferring their slow drying time, which gives him more flexibility to work with the paints.
His works are featured in the corporate collection of the Toronto Zoo and in private collections in France and South Africa. Foster's upcoming exhibitions will be held in Ottawa and Guelph, with a portion of the sales going to support the Smith Falls mission.
https://ljpapoffwriter.com/2018/10/14/joe-foster-paints-the-homeless/
