Market Weighton, UK

b. 1969

John is a self-taught British painter who leverages the freedom of a rule-free practice to create surreal, mixed-medium "Dreamscapes" that explore consciousness, spirituality, and our connection to universal origins

Biography

Born in the old market town of Horsham in West Sussex U.K.
Raised in a working-class family on the edge of town close to the magnificent St. Leonards forest, a place that has inspired me artistically and spiritually to this day.
I moved to Yorkshire in the late nineties, where I now live nestled into the heart of the Yorkshire Wolds in the small town of Market Weighton.
Art has always inspired me....from watching my father paint when I was young to studying at school and beyond. Although I've had a lifelong appreciation, it wasn't until the confinement of the lockdown that I started to paint seriously.
My paintings are, for the most part, Surrealist in style, using acrylics and oils. I really love how oils feel and the textures that are possible in this medium, but you can't argue that acrylics are so much more practical and much safer. I also like to paint "Dreamscapes," a kind of blend between landscape and surrealism.
I am self-taught, which has its drawbacks but also a lot of freedom. I truly believe that if you don't know the rules...you are not constrained by them!
Mainly influenced by my attraction to wild places and spirituality, my work explores themes such as the nature of consciousness and our connection to our universal origins, and the world around us.

Education

I had a very normal secondary modern education at an all-boys school where I gained my G.C.S.E. exams in 1982. After that, I began working in the then-booming construction industry, where I have spent most of my working life.

Exhibitions & Awards

I have exhibited in my local area with a collective group called "East Riding Artists" in town halls and stately homes. I have also exhibited my work in the Luxembourg Art Prize and received certificates in 2021 and 2025.