A love and fascination of this country as a whole was instilled in me during my college years through several cross-country trips from western New York to California. I found myself especially drawn to the western landscape, with all its dynamic variety and inherent beauty and grandeur. This attraction eventually led to leaving a design career in New York and relocating to Colorado where I picked up the brush and began the adventure.
In painting, I seek to find an essential quality in the natural world around us, and express that in an authentic way, considering the works of those who have come before me.
Residing in Colorado since 2004, John is originally from western New York, and studied design and art at Rochester Institute of Technology, and then at Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California. His work took him from Los Angeles to Minneapolis and then to New York City where he worked as a Designer and Art Director for a number of design groups and television networks.
Whenever he and his wife would leave “the city” for a weekend, the landscape would have a strong impact on him, reminding him of his upbringing, when, if not playing baseball, he would spend many a summer day working the fields for his father on the family tree nursery, working in “wind and rain and weather”. Living in New York City provided opportunities for a different kind of culture, that of great art in museums and galleries. The Metropolitan Museum of Art became a favorite, as did the Frick Museum and MoMa. Retrospectives on Corot, Monet, Lucian Freud, and exhibits featuring the Hudson River School Painters, Van Gogh, Odd Nerdrum, and George Inness caused John to grow in his appreciation of great art. When he became a "hands off" Design Director in 2001, he decided to get "hands on" and began painting when he could find time between work and a growing family.
9/11 happened, and soon John was meeting weekly just blocks from ground zero, with former National Council of the Arts member, Mako Fujimura, who gathered artists of various disciplines together for coffee and bagels, to engage in discussions of art, faith and purpose. Englishman, Nigel Goodwin, was a guest at the group and became a catalyst for John to pursue this call in the arts, moving his family to Colorado to begin painting in earnest in 2004.
His work has since received a number of awards and honors, including receiving the Gold Award at the OPA invitational Masters Show in 2023 for "Covered Ridge" and Gold as well for "Worthy Ascent" at the 2021 Oil Painters of America Western Regional Exhibit. In 2022, the Museum of Western Art in Kerrville, Texas added his painting, "Thunder Run", to their permanent collection. In 2018 at the OPA's National show, his piece received the "Best Signature Award of Excellence". Other awards and honors include the Fine Art Connoisseur’s Award of Excellence at the National Western Club Show in Denver, two additional "Top Landscape Awards of Excellence" from the Oil Painters of America National Exhibit, plus exhibiting at the Coors Western Art show and the American Masters at the Salmagundi Club in New York City. John is a signature member of both the Oil Painters of American and Plein Air Painters of America (PAPA).
SEE RECENT ARTICLE: WESTERN ART & ARCHITECTURE, June/July, 2019
PAPA (Plein-Air Painters of America~Signature Member)
OPA (Oil Painters of America~Signature Member)
RMPAP (Rocky Mountain Plein-Air Painters~Signature Member)
Couse-Sharp Historic Site, PAPA "Out West" exhibit, 2023-2024
The Brinton Museum, Artist in Residence, 2023
Museum of Western Art, Roundup Exhibit and Sale, 2022, 2023
"Bighorn Rendezvous", The Brinton Museum, 2022
"The Heavens Declare: Celebrating the Glory of the Skies"
Museum of Western Art, 2022
Oil Painters of America Western Regional Exhibit 2021
Four man show, Mockingbird Gallery, 2021
One man show, Vail International Gallery, July 2020
"Bighorns and Beyond", one man show, SAGE Community Arts, Dec-Jan, 2019-2020
One man show, Vail International Gallery, July 2019
Two man show, Mockingbird Gallery, May 2019
Oil Painters of America National Exhibit, June - September 3, 2018 Steamboat Art Museum
"Small Works, Great Wonders", National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum, November 2017
One man show, Vail International Gallery, July 2017
Coors Western Art Exhibit & Sale, National Western Stock Show, 2017, 2016
4-Man show Elements 5280 Gallery, Denver, CO, October, 2015
Rocky Mountain National Park Centennial Celebration, RMPAP, August 2015
Plein-Air For the Park, Grand Teton National Park, RMPAP, July 2015
Paso Robles ArtsFest, Paso Robles, California. May/June 2015
National Western Club Show, in association with the Coors Western Art Show, 2015, 2014
Windows to the Divine, Denver, 2014
Rocky Mountain Plein-Air Painters, Estes Park, 2014
One Man show, Vail International Gallery, Vail, CO July 14 - July 28, 2012
Oil Painters of America National exhibit, June, 2012, Evergreen Fine Art
Windows to the Divine, Madden Museum, Denver, November 2011
"Colors of Colorado", Steamboat Springs Art Museum, August 2011
RMPAP group show, Wild Spirit Gallery, Pagosa Springs, August 2011
One Man show, Vail International Gallery, Vail, CO July 14 - July 28, 2012
Oil Painters of America National exhibit, June, 2012, Evergreen Fine Art
Windows to the Divine, Madden Museum, Denver, November 2011
"Colors of Colorado", Steamboat Springs Art Museum, August 2011
RMPAP group show, Wild Spirit Gallery, Pagosa Springs, August 2011
One Man shows, Vail International Gallery, Vail, CO 2010 & 2011
American Masters at the Salmagundi Club, NY. May, 2009 & 2010
Oil Painters of America, National Exhibit and Sale, 2006-2008, 2010
Windows to the Divine, Madden Museum, Denver, November 2009
Coors Western Art Show, Opening night auction. Denver. January 2009
Salon du Musee, Denver Art Museum benefit, November, 2008
Nomadas del Arte, Plein-air show, March 2008, 2009, 2010
3 Man Show, Pinon Fine Art, December, 2007
le Jeune Show, Denver Art Museum benefit, November, 2007
"Landscapes of Colorado" exhibit coinciding with book release
Pinon Fine Art, "On the Water" show, 2007
Invitational Colorado Governor’s Show, 2007
America in Miniature show, Gilcrease Museum, 2006
Pinon Fine Art “Let it Snow” show
Invitational Colorado Governor’s Show, 2006
Pinon Fine Art, Spring show, March 2006
Pinon Fine Art, 4 Man show, Denver, October, 2005
OPA Central Regional Show, October, 2005
Arts For the Parks, Mini 100, September 2005
Rocky Mountain Plein-Air Painters paint-out Winter Park 2005/06
Rocky Mountain Plein-Air Painters paint-out Estes Park 2005
Longmont ArtWalk, 2005, 2006
Gold Award, Oil Painters of America Masters Exhibit, Signature division, 2023
Museum of Western Art, Kerrville, Texas, purchase "Thunder Run" for permanent collection 2022
Gold Award, Oil Painters of America Western Regional Exhibit 2021
Best Signature Painting Award of Excellence, Oil Painters of America National, 2018
Fine Art Connoisseur magazine Award of Excellence, National Western Club Show, January 2015
Award of Excellence, Oil Painters of America National. June, 2012
Southwest Art Magazine, feature article, July 2012
American Art Collector, July, 2011
Western Art Collector, August, 2010
American Masters at the Salmagundi Club, NY. May, 2009 & 2010
Nomadas del Arte, Plein-air show, Honorable Mention, April, 2010
Nomadas del Arte, Plein-air show, 2nd place award, March 2008
August 2007 Southwest Art Magazine, "Landscapes of Colorado"
Oil Painters of America National Exhibition, Award of Excellence, 2006
Cultural Times Magazine feature article, “Artist on the Cusp”, June 2006
“Artist to Watch”, Southwest Art Magazine, April 2006
America in Miniature show, Gilcrease Museum, 2006
Invitational Colorado Governor’s Show, 2006
OPA Central Regional Show, 2005
Arts for the Parks Mini 100 Show, 2005
