Joan Eiley was born in Montreal. She studied Interior Design with the New York School of Interior Design where she learned to love drafting. Joan also took additional courses in drawing and pottery with an emphasis on the art of sgraffito.

She maintained a studio and potter’s wheel in her home for many years.

Her move to California in 1977 immersed her in the world of design. She worked with a well known Interior Designer, and opened her own exclusive showroom selling unique objet d’art gathered during extensive travel through Latin America, Asia and Europe.

When Joan + her family moved to Toronto she opened and directed the acclaimed Joan Eiley Showroom. Catering to the Interior Design trade, she represented important lines of furniture, lighting and accessories from the U.S., Europe and Mexico along with handmade objects and works of art.

In 2014, after 30 successful years, Joan closed her Showroom and found herself "totally besotted with drawing".

These brush pen and ink drawings on cotton rag paper are a window on the artistic trajectory of Joan Eiley.