Tim Joel was born in Isleworth, London. His parents, Paul and Judy JOEL, live and work in Mousehole, Cornwall where they run The Little Picture Gallery. He was brought up to appreciate all forms of art.

He graduated from Napier University in Edinburgh in 1999 with a BA Hons degree in Photography and the moving image. He travelled widely and began to paint seriously in 2000 while in Thailand. He lived for a while in Germany and became involved with the Stuckists, exhibiting with them in London and in Germany. Now he is living in Taiwan and has held many exhibitions in Taipei City, and the south of the island. He admires the work of Ken HOWARD, David Hockney and Jack VETTRIANO whom he knew when he lived in Edinburgh.

Tim organised a painting challenge for many artists he knew in Taipei City to paint a canvas during a period of 24 hours; the event was filmed throughout the day and in the evening the paintings were auctioned with the money raised going to the people in the south of the island devastated by the Moracot typhoon.  He was chosen by the Discovery Channel in Taiwan to be the subject of a documentary about foreign people who find inspiration in Taiwan. He published his first book, Poet Painter, in 2005.