Josh was born and raised into a commercial salmon fishing family on the east coast of Vancouver Island. Growing up Josh always enjoyed wildlife and the outdoors. As a young man, like much of his family, he put in some brief time commercial fishing like his father, grandfather, and great grandfather did before him. Around 10 years old his mother bought him his first drawing book which would spark a long love of sketching. After highschool he taught himself to paint with acrylics, painting seascapes and angry seas. As a young man he would drive 6 hours every weekend to surf the wild and rough west coast every season in sun, snow, sleet, wind and rain, and did so for many years. Much of Josh’s interests and passions for the do-everything-yourself, homesteader lifestyle have been inspired by his family history, the Hansens family from Norway, who settled and pioneered the coast at Port Neville, BC in the late 1800’s.
These days Joshua lives on a forested acreage on the Oyster River, BC, with his wife Brooke, son Oly, and daughter Evelyn. They aim to live simply, slowly, sustainably, and naturally. A lover of old-time coastal living Josh and his wife stay busy with a small farm growing, foraging, fishing and hunting their food, and harvesting wood to stay warm for winter. Josh enjoys watching the seasons change and the joys each season brings. An avid outdoorsman he appreciates all creatures and is dedicated to the conservation of wildlife. Painting wildlife in its natural habitat, and capturing the details, feelings and moods of the west coast in a way only a born and raised west coaster can, is something he aims to portray. When not painting Josh can be found reading, fly fishing, back country hunting, studying and viewing various species of wildlife, hiking remote alpine, or old growth forests.