John was born and raised on Sydney's Northern Beaches which enabled him to experience the joys of the ocean, a major influence on his art.
His schooling nurtured a dynamic group of art teachers and students who worked together to develop their skills and understanding of art. His first exhibition was with 2 school mates and their teacher in 1974.
In 1980 he gained a diploma in Graphic Design majoring in textile design and printing, typography and life drawing. A diverse career in screen printing then offset printing began, quickly moving up to managing Australia's largest instant print franchise then progressing into a corporate role before owning his own franchise.Throughout this period his art developed and progressed at differing paces depending on the influence of workload and family.
Under the watchful eye of water-colourist John Santry, attending life drawing classes where and when he could and painting at nights, a body of work was ready for exhibiting. Following a mixed exhibition at Barry Stern Galleries in Sydney, Barry agreed to open his first solo exhibition on the Central Coast in 1990.
John has continued to exhibit with a number of solo and mixed exhibitions.
In 2001 he was chosen as a finalist for the Dobell Prize for drawing at the NSWAG for his work titled 'Rachel1'
John draws in a number of drawing books which become the basis of his painted artworks. He captures the spirit and emotion of his subject in his mind then back at his studio the motif develops and his passion for colour completes the process with the use of Goauche on paper or Acrylic on canvas.
His artworks feature in both corporate and private collections both nationally and internationally.
