Joel Kaufman currently lives in the Chicago area, but he's lived in southern California, outside New York City, Maryland and Honolulu. While studying the sciences in college, he decided to fulfill his artistic destiny by refocusing on painting and art history at the University of Illinois. Joel studied under such noted artists as Frank Gallo, David Bushman, Daniel Ziembo, and Edward Betts. 

"Dan Ziembo put it best: 'An artist doesn't learn to paint, an artist learns to see.' I believe that completely."

Kaufman was born (1961) and raised in the Chicago area, where he began developing an artistic reputation at a very early age. Regular visits to the Art Institute of Chicago and The Museum of Contemporary Art provided vast inspiration. Kaufman states that his greatest influence comes from combining his studies in science and art history calling them a surprisingly compatible pair.

"I have so many painting heroes...Close,  Wesselmann, Sargent...I feel that, after painting for over 30 years, I'm just now finding my own vision."