Joe Santos is a contemporary American artist/watercolorist known for his watercolor paintings of urban and industrial objects. He was born in Los Angeles, California, where he lived until the age of five when his family moved to Eastern Washington. After graduating from Pasco High School (Pasco, Washington), Joseph attended Golden West College in Southern California (1984–1986) where he studied art technique and design while also working in his fathers art studio. He started working exclusively in watercolor in the late 1980s and in 1999 started to paint the steel and industrial subjects that he is known for. Santos' work has garnered many awards nationally, including the Paul B. Remmey award at the prestigious American Watercolor Society 138th international exhibition in New York City. His paintings have been exhibited in museums throughout the United States, including the Elmhurst Art Museum in Illinois and the Springfield Art Museum in Missouri, and have also been featured in national publications including Southwest Art, The Artist's magazine, and American Art Collector. His sensitive watercolors are portraits of urban and industrial equipment, focusing on weathered surfaces and cropped visual subject matter. The strong geometrical lines of man-made machinery beautifully juxtapose the abstract patterns of dirt, deterioration, and corrosion. Elements such as shape and value are central to his compositions, while striking subtleties can be found in the expression of materials such as steel and rubber. The delicate transparency of his medium skillfully captures the manifestations of nature affecting these structures. Inspired by the Precisionism art movement, Santos cites Charles Sheeler and Charles Demuth as influences. Joe lives and works at his studio in Los Angeles, CA.