Joiner was a renowned decoy carver who began carving as a teen, working out of a small workshop behind the home of a grandparent. Later he came under the tutelage of R. Madison Mitchell (1901-1993), a highly regarded regional carver. In the late 1940s Joiner became acquainted with Steve (1895-1976) and Lem (1896-1984) Ward, with whom he became friends. Joiner would later observe that his style of carving and painting included a combination of Mitchell's and the Ward Brothers' styles. --Excerpt taken from the Ward Museum of Wildfowl Art website.