John has never known life without art.  Born in 1947, it was always his ambition to enter the Art world.  He studied in the Limerick School of Art under the guidance of Jack Donovan for whom he has a lifelong regard. He attributes much of the influences in his work to his experiences during these formative years during which his passion and vision never wavered.   He graduated from the Limerick School of Art with honours and spent the following two years teaching there.  He then studied painting under Michael Dempsey. John moved to west Clare and spent eight years exploring and teaching in the Wilderness of the west Coast. These years were spent surrounded by landscapes and a coastline of unquestionable, untamed beauty.  He feels his time in west Clare enhanced his appreciation and love of landscape and nature.

John considers himself as much a colourist as a realist. Working in oils, his bold brush strokes aim to create ridges to catch the light while simultaneously capturing the gesture be it a landscape or nude.  He is constantly exploring the duality of the brush and the paint in order to create textures, shapes and combinations of colour.   Painting full time, John moved to Waterford. His profile rapidly expanded resulting in numerous solo exhibitions and his work is now held in many collections both private and public. He is currently an  active  member of Waterford Live Art.  His name also appears in the latest edition of “Whyte’s Buyer’s Guide to Irish Art”. When asked about the need for the Artist to meet the demands of consumerism John said ‘to paint honestly and remain true to yourself, you hope your audience will keep pace with the development in your painting.’  Over the years, this approach has led to a rewarding career.

John painting in his studio