Born in Hillsborough, County Down, in 1956, John's childhood was divided between sketching the rolling fields of County Down, and exploring the bog lands of Donegal.

At 18 years, he entered what he now refers to as his lost weekend; a weekend that lasted twenty-three years, dabbling in everything, overcoming a debilitating illness and frequently changing jobs.

Now, hopefully at the end of his wilderness years, he has dropped everything to focus on his art, and he is now regarded as one of the major emerging talents in Irish landscape painting.

A love of his native countryside has resulted in a traditional style, and John feels a burning need to capture aspects of the Irish countryside on canvas before they disappear forever under the developer's bulldozer.

Paintings by John are held in private collections throughout Ireland, England, USA and France, and his work is on permanent display in The McGilloway Gallery, Londonderry, The McKee Gallery, Dromore, The Townhouse Gallery, Belfast, and The Waldock Gallery, Dublin.