John was born in Nova Scotia in the early fifties and raised in the Maritime Provinces and Quebec. John has always painted or sketched and has had many parallel careers. After a successful career as an agricultural crop specialist and scientist, he has recently been able to dedicate more time and energy to painting. His studio is in London Ontario.
John’s formal education has included studies in Botany and Horticultural Science at the undergraduate (McGill) and postgraduate (Guelph) level of achievement.
The first oil painting he completed was at age 7 while being encouraged by his mother who loved to paint with oils. He is largely self-taught and relishes the act of experimentation with materials. John’s first intimate connections with the landscape came from fishing and camping trips growing up.
He relishes the time he gets to paint “plein air”. Larger canvases are typically finished in the studio. John’s clients often comment by saying that they “feel like they are there” in reference to a painting.
