Joan Blackmore Thistle was born in Port Union, Trinity Bay, Newfoundland of seafaring ancestry. Having lived by the sea all her life she feels a great love and respect for its calm and rage. Blackmore Thistle grew up in outport Newfoundland. It was not an easy time economically for many families, but for the artist, as a child it was a wonderful experience.

“I remember Port Union very fondly and the childhood that I had. Almost everything that my father did, he would take me with him, on the motorboats and the schooners”

Despite her fond memories of time spent with her father, it is more often the memories of the women in the community that are the inspiration for the artist's recent work. The looks of despair as the women looked out to a raging sea waiting for the return of their husbands and sons. The busy days of berry picking, carrying water, laying fish on the flakes, and eventually celebrating with a dance or “a time” are all memories that the artist captures in her paintings and sculptures.

Joan is largely self taught but has participated in workshops in painting, pottery and printmaking. She has been involved in the cultural community in many ways, from serving on boards, to participation in school programs such as ArtSmarts, to giving workshops.

Image shown: "A Turn o' Water" -bronze approximately 38 cm (15")high