A native Californian, Joy Harvey grew up in Bakersfield and currently resides in Springville. In addition to being an accomplished artist, Joy also teaches at ArtsVisalia, at Vision Academy of the Arts in Oakhurst, at Cuesta College in San Luis Obispo, and at workshops throughout California. She is a member of the Foothills Artists at the Springville Inn, past president of the Arts Council of Tulare County, past president of the Porterville Art Council, a member of the Society of Western Artists, the Tulare Palette Club, the American Artists of Chinese Brush Painting, the Sumi-e Society, and the San Diego Chinese Brush Painting Society.

Joy became fascinated with Chinese Art and Chinese Art History while a student at Mills College. For nearly 30 years, she has studied the philosophy, calligraphy and painting of the art known as Chinese Brush Painting. After earning a S.A. in English Literature, Joy lived in San Diego where she studied art with Jean Shua Chen at the University of California, San Diego. Additionally, Joy has traveled to the People's Republic of China eight times from 1987 to 2004 to complete certificated art courses.

Joy paints the traditional subjects of the "Four Gentlemen" (plum, pine, orchid, and chrysanthemum), flower and bird, people and landscapes. She paints animals mainly for her own pleasure, trying to find their'spirit' and personality in ink. Joy loves Chinese calligraphy for its history, discipline, and structure. Studying the history of art in China with master painters encouraged her to further explore the basis of Chinese Brush Painting and calligraphy. Blending the perspective of a Westerner with the uniqueness of the eastern philosophy has brought her the following artistic statement:

"I believe that whether one is painting a leaf, the entire flower, a tree., or the whole forest,. the universal language of art bridges the cultures, and allows all of us to communicate without translators."