Joseph Norris (1924-1996) spent most of his life in the small hamlet of Lower Prospect, Nova Scotia. He began painting in 1972, after a major heart attack forced his early retirement from the fishing and construction trades. His works depicted life along the seacoast, with scenes of wildlife, nature and landscapes painted in bold, saturated colours. Norris' work included painted chairs, tables and chests in addition to his two-dimensional paintings. After his work was discovered in 1975 by Maine antique dealer Chris Huntington, Norris was able to live off of his income as an artist rather than disability allowance from the government. Work by Joseph Norris has been exhibited in the National Gallery of Canada and is found in the collections of the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, the Canadian Museum of History, and in many corporate and private art collections throughout North America.