Studio Updates: Summer & Fall 2025
Well, I had a busy summer! Working full-time as an aquatic biologist for Fisheries and Oceans Canada doesn’t leave a ton of time to be a Vancouver Island artist, but I’m still finding a way to fit in my portrait painting and writing. Here’s what I accomplished this summer/fall:
New Paintings
On the easel
I paint slowly. Seriously, I just finished my latest painting (Samantha, 20 x 20 inches, oil on canvas), which I started at the end of June! Museum by Sktchy is a great app to find source photos for portraits and share with other artists. Museum is where I find many of my inspirations for painting oil portraits.
Timelapse video of oil portrait painting.
Oil Portrait Commissions
Recently, I was commissioned by friends in Nanoose Bay for three portraits. This will keep me busy for a long time. I’m always open to commissions. If you’re interested in your own commission, shoot me an email at the contact info below or send a message at:
Book Projects
Every morning I write for a few hours. I don’t really think of it as poetry or prose (maybe both), I call it Joetry, haha. This allows me to inch along my book projects bit by bit.
In the works
This summer I self-published my first contemporary poetry collection, No Lines in Nature.
I'm also working on Means By No Means, a novella collection I completed a year ago that I've currently submitted to publishers. Not everyone has rejected it yet, which is promising! One of the novellas, Eyes Before They Dry, was shortlisted for the Malahat Review's 2024 Novella Prize.
Beyond that, I'm revising another novella and have just started exploring a science fiction project.
No Lines in Nature
I self-published my poetry collection, No Lines in Nature, this spring/summer. I’ve already sold quite a few books and received meaningful feedback from readers, which has been very exciting.
Self-publishing is a hot topic, and I get a lot of questions about the process. I found the process quite easy. I did all the design work myself, which didn’t cost me a thing, just time. Printing and shipping is the only cost that I have. Less risky than in the past (and no gate-keepers).
Favourable Reviews
Harold Rhenisch wrote a glowing review for The British Columbia Review, saying:
“So, let’s welcome Enns as a new master poet to this tradition of fisher poets. Like the others he is a master at throwing a line—in his case, literally. At their best, the lines of his verse are exquisite casts. The poems through which they flash, stream, curl, and bend are pools of still water. Heart, mind, and world merge into attention.”
Where to Buy
No Lines in Nature is accessible through almost every platform I can think of. Paperback and eBook. If it’s not in a store, you should be able to order it. For a selection of platforms to buy:
My partner, Kelly Corbett , has sold my books at her own art exhibitions.
The Macmillan Art Centre now carries my book in their gift shop.
Exhibitions and Shows
Sooke Fine Arts Show
Jurors from the Sooke Fine Arts Show chose one of my paintings for the second year in a row for their 2025 exhibition, July 26 – August 4 in Sooke, British Columbia. And my painting sold on the first weekend!
As an exhibiting artist, I was also allowed to sell my poetry book in the gift shop, and I sold a few!
Nomad Gallery
I’m always grateful to the Nomad Gallery in White Rock, BC, (link) for showing my work. The Nomad sold several of my paintings this summer. Please check out the gallery if you’re around White Rock.
What’s Next
As you can see from my sales, I'm low on inventory. Time to get painting! Over the winter, I'll continue working full-time with Fisheries and Oceans Canada at the Pacific Biological Station in Nanaimo, British Columbia, which is fantastic, but I need to fit in my creative work somehow. It's always a tough balance between paying bills and having creative time.
Here's what's on my to-do list:
· Complete portrait commissions
· Publish novella collection
· Revise new novella
· Continue science fiction project
· Write book reviews
No pressure.
Timelapse Youtube video of an oil painting portrait by Joe Enns from his Vancouver Island, British Columbia studio.
