Joan Jeans was born in Manchester in 1947. She studied at Sheffield College of Art 1965-69 where she obtained a
Diploma in Art and Design, Fine art and Painting with Printmaking. She was awarded with an Italian government scholarship in 1969. In 1970 she obtained her Art Teacher’s Certificate and was Head of Art at St Mary’s School in Cambridge for  thirty two years.
 
During that time she continued with her own painting and exhibited at The old Fire Enginehouse, Ely. She works mostly in oils and watercolour, mainly directly from landscape which is her strongest interest.

She recently exhibited several times at the Broughton House Gallery, King Street, Cambridge.

On retirement from teaching two years ago she joined the St Barnabas Print Workshop and returned to her love of etching.