About

John was born in Big Stone Gap, a small coal mining town in Southwest Virginia. His first formal training in art came his freshman year of college. He went on to received a bachelor’s degree in art from East Tennessee State University. After graduating he taught art in Northern Virginia’s public school system.

As a cancer survivor at the age of 26, he was inspired to utilize his training in art in the medical field. This desire led him to work as a medical illustrator while attending graduate school at Roswell Park Cancer Center, in Buffalo, NY. While in graduate school he was introduced to the field of epidemiology. For John, this was a perfect fit because epidemiology, like art, is an observational science. He went on to earn his masters and doctorate degrees in cancer epidemiology from the State University of New York at Buffalo. From that point forward his time to paint was limited as he dedicated himself to applying the science of epidemiology to helping individuals diagnosed with cancer.

A busy career left little time for painting, but in 2010 his artistic roots were revitalized by studying with the nationally renowned artist Michael McEwan. It is through Michael’s mastery and knowledge of painting, particularly landscape painting, that John was inspired to paint on a full time basis.