ABOUT JOHN
EARLY LIFE
While I was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico on a military base, I was not destined to stay there long. We were soon transferred to Okinawa, Japan, where my love for art and the many cultures of the world began. And, while it was unusual in those days, I had a “working mom”, who worked for Civil Service. My mother placed my sister and I in the care of by two young Japanese sisters. Therefore, our house (a Quonset Hut*) was filled with their Japanese culture and our house was filled with Japanese paintings and figurines. This is how my love for the Japanese people began as well as my love for the many cultures of the far east.
Quonset Hut*: A Quonset Hut was a Prefab Steel Arch-style used as temporary housing in overseas military bases. Think of a large 55-Gallon drum cut in half and set on its side. The design helped resist the winds of typhoons.
YOUNG ADULT LIFE
Eventually my family was transferred back to the United States, and I grew up mostly in Orlando, Florida until I graduated from high school. Ironically, when my parents moved, I joined the military, and was sent to Okinawa, Japan. My military career would later take me to Guam, Spain, Diego Garcia(Indian Ocean) with side trips to Italy and Israel.
When I finally arrived back in the United States, I had lived in over 50 places, seen Flamenco Dancers in Seville, watched the Pope at the Vatican on Christmas Eve, and the walked along the Sea of Galilee in Israel. Needless to say, the education of art and life in all those countries was amazing.
COLLEGE LIFE
After serving in the military, I decided to return to Orlando to finish college. I had decided to study Ornamental Horticulture and started my college career at Valencia Community College. One day I walked into the college library and saw a display of Bonsai trees. They are miniature live trees trained to resembled old growth. I was fascinated and found out that a woman named Lynn Leggett was giving a class. I took the class and soon had many trees of my own. The strong connection between Japan and I rose up again.
After graduation from Valencia, I transferred to the University of Florida to study Horticulture but soon learned I was not very good at microbiology as well as other advanced chemistry classes and my GPA for the first semester showed it. Thankfully, a friend in my plant identification class told me that she was studying Landscape Architecture and took me to see her studio.
The drawings and plants captured me, and I soon transferred to the College of Architecture where my GPA rose significantly.
In my art and design classes I was exposed to many types of art and architecture. It was here, that I discovered Chinese Painting. It was yet another connection to my Asian roots. I found a Chinese Art Book and taught myself Chinese painting. The drawings of bamboo, trees and other sketches you see on my website are ones I did in college.
In my final semester, my roommate brought a girl home to visit. She was to be my future wife. We would later marry and have 3 wonderful children. But marriage, career and children kept me very busy, so I had to put aside all my painting, drawing, Bonsai trees and Chinese painting to devote myself to raising our family and building my career but I did it willingly, because the next 30 plus years were even better.
FAST FORWARD
40 YEARS
So, at 66, I retired, after working as a Landscape Architect/Planner with a local government designing Parks for the citizens of Dekalb County in Atlanta, and Orange County, Florida. We raised three wonderful children and managed to get them through high school with few, if any, rough spots. And with them, either married, graduated from college and/or settled in a career, it was time to restart my art education.
Only this time, it would begin, of all places, on YouTube. One night, I watched a woman by the name of Anne Marie Ridderhoff do these amazing things with acrylic paint and something called Floetrol. I had discovered Flow or Acrylic Pour Art. I immediately followed her and another artist named Mely-D and both became my tutors.
I watched over 300 of their videos and soon the corner of our kitchen became my little art studio. Later, I would become interested in Abstract art and took classes at the Crealde School of Art with Patricia Byron, an amazing artist and friend.
During one of the many classes with Patricia, I was asked to do a demonstration of flow art in her abstract art class. Later, I was asked if I would like to do a “Weekend Workshop” at the school. This would turn into several “Acrylic Pour Classes.” So student art exhibits, more abstract art classes, and hundreds of abstract and flow art paintings later, I think I can say I am an artist.
MY ART STUDIO
While “Art” was part of me since I was child, I didn’t have a designated place to paint until I retired at 66. My “Art Place” was a small corner in our “Eat in” Kitchen.
Then one Sunday afternoon, while watching television, I casually mentioned that the screen porch on the back of the house wasn’t being used very much. My wife agreed. I ventured further and said, “It would be a great place to do my artwork and get it out of the corner of the kitchen.” My wife casually agreed that it might be a good idea.
Did I hear her right? Did she just agree to let me enclose the screen porch for my art studio? I asked the final important question, just to make sure. I quietly said, “So I can enclose the screen porch and make it my art studio?” She looked at me from the couch and said very nonchalantly, “I don’t think that’s a bad idea, go ahead.”
Within a blink of an eye, the design/construction of my new art studio had started. On Monday, I called the architect and contractor who had done work on a previous addition to the house. Before long, the plans were completed, permitted and construction was ready to begin. Click on the videos below to see how the inside and outside of the studio were constructed as well as my “perilous” shelf construction.
Click to View
each part of the studio
I purchased several abstract paintings from John. I was attracted to his use of black and turquoise with mark making in various tones of ochre on canvas framed in a black floater frame. Every time I see this painting in my home, it draws me in and gives me joy. His work is truly inspired and he continually produces art that pushes the envelope of creativity.
Cindy Meadows
ART MEMBERSHIPS
MEMBERSHIPS
Orlando Museum of Art - 2416 N. Mills Ave. Orlando, FL 32803
Crealde School of Art - 600 St. Andrews Blvd. Winter Park, Fl 32792
Museum of Arts and Sciences - 352 S. Nova Road
Daytona Beach, Fl. 32114
SOBO Art Gallery - Winter Garden Art Association, 127 S. Boyd St., Winter Garden, Florida 34787
ART
TEACHING
TEACHER
Acrylic Pour / Flow Art Classes
Acrylic Pour Workshop – Crealde School of Art – January 2020
Acrylic Pour Class – Crealde School of Art - Jesse Brock Community Center – October 2021
Acrylic Pour Class – Crealde School of Art - Jesse Brock Community Center – March 2022
Black Desert Storm
Desert Storm - SOLD
Dark Autumn Forest
You may be wondering what my email address means. Well, it’s for my grandson, Jay. 4jartworks means some of the money I make from my paintings will be going to help with Jay’s medical expenses. While Jay looks perfect, his body isn’t. He was born with tongue ties, which literally means parts of his tongue were tied to the sides and bottom of his mouth. After many operations, and consistent exercises by his parents, he has gotten better. But later, he developed Phagiocephaly (Flat Head syndrome) and had to wear a helmet.
His young life has been less ideal but he has two incredible parents that do a wonderful job seeing that his medical needs are met. As you might expect all this costs a lot of money which is why I wanted to build this website. Not only to share my art but to help my grandson with his medical expenses now and in the future.
Thank you for reading and if you purchase something today, thank you for helping make Jay’s life a little easier!
