| After working in the design industry for 37 years John decided to leave London and move to Norfolk and concentrate on drawing and painting. In 2004 and 2005 he won the SAA Artist of the Year for best Waterscape, Boats and Landscape Category, exhibited at the Business Design Centre, Islington. John has contributed work to four of the “How did you paint that” book series published by International Artist Magazine. Towards the end of 2004 a tongue in cheek drawing of Tony Blair on a 50 euro note called “President Blair” was accepted by the Orleans House Gallery, Twickenham for their exhibition entitled “Drawing the Line” and in the same year, he had a drawing accepted by the Society of Graphic Fine Art in London.
In September 2006 John won the Eastern Daily Press "Budding Artist" of the year competition. A solo exhibition followed in 2007 at the Picturecraft Gallery, Holt and in September 2007 John had a very successful exhibition in France at 'Gallery 19' Ile de Re, called "Sea, Fun & Sun".
Currently he has a painting and wall-hanging on display at the St Giles House Hotel, Norwich. John exhibits annually at the Contemporary British Art Exhibition, held at the Millinery Works Gallery, Islington, London and he has also just won the SAA Artist of the Year 2008 for portrait or figure painting. He also exhibits at various East Anglian art shows, including Coton and Diss.
As a change from painting on canvas, John joined 50 artists for the Go Elephants exhibition in Norwich, where artists were asked to decorate fibreglass elephants which will be displayed on the streets of Norwich during July and August 2008 to raise money for charity. John chose to paint his elephants with his portrait entitled The Ice Cream Eaters and his diptych the Norfolk Broads Bathing Belles. He also collaborated with a metal worker to create the only flying elephant in the display.
John continues to enjoy working on private commissions for portraits and other paintings and has just had his first children's book published for which he also did the illustrations.
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