Encouraged
by the wealth of landscape and artist interpretation in the Bay Area and
with such early experiences as Van Gogh’s exhibition at De Young
Museum in San Francisco, John’s appreciation of art emerged at an
early age.
A
childhood full of drawing and painting foreshadowed an artistic future:
after completing four years in the U.S. Coast Guard, he attended and
graduated from the Academy of Art College (AAC) in San Francisco,
winning numerous student awards and scholarships.
After graduation, John accepted the AAC’s offer to remain at
the college as an instructor of painting and drawing, and eventually
served as Director of Foundations overseeing all Freshmen Drawing, and
Color and Design classes.
His
philosophy is solid: he believes in the importance of an academic
grounding in basic principles of art and adheres strongly to the
classical premises of art education. He values his teaching and
administrative experiences as having increased his perspective as an
educator and artist.
John’s
works reflect his inspired appreciation of the landscape. His paintings
can be found in numerous private collections across the country. He is
represented by The Demott Gallery in Veil, Colorado; The Garden Gallery
in Half Moon Bay, California; The Legacy Gallery in Jackson, WY; and The
Walls Gallery in Wilmington, North Carolina.
His
numerous professional awards and honors include "Best of Show"
for The Society of Western Artists in 1999; Oil Painters of America
Annual National Juried Exhibition in 1998, 1999, 2001 and 2002; Arts for
the Parks Annual National Juried Exhibition in 1999 and 2001, including
the "Landscape Award of Merit" in 1999; The Artist Magazine,
finalist in the 1999 and 2001 Annual National Juried Competition; and
the Sonoma Plein Air, "Artist Choice Award".
John
lives in Jackson, Wyoming with his wife Jenny, their five children, and
Sven the cat.