Artist Statement

John trained as an Art teacher at Doncaster and in Drama at Derby University. After teaching Art and Drama for several years, John became founder member and artistic director of Compact Theatre Company and has acted professionally (as Harry Connolly) since 1992. John divides his time between painting, acting and writing. John has written three plays, which have toured in the UK and the UAE.

In 2010 John became a full time artist working in his own studio, The Ormscliffe Studio Gallery, in Bolsover. I have a keen interest in landscape painting, the vast sweeping horizons of the Derbyshire Peak District, the rugged terrain and ever changing light over Cumbria, North Yorkshire Moors and the shorelines around the UK and the Isles of Scilly all provide me with subject matter. I also have an ongoing project inspired by visits to The New Forest.

I work mainly with acrylics, but sometimes mix media using anything to achieve the desired effect. I use found materials, making marks and interesting textures with anything at hand. I scratch, scrape and sometimes flick or throw the paint onto the canvas to create runs and dribbles that suggest waves or interesting cloud formations. In some of my larger paintings, I include collaged materials. Beach sand can create an interesting texture in a landscape or to represent itself within a seascape. Dried grass, twigs, leaves and ferns have also appeared in my landscape paintings.

I rarely include people in my paintings as I hope the observer can experience a feeling of remoteness and sense of place. Where figures do appear, this is usually to provide focus and scale to my work.

Collections

John's work has been purchased by collectors in the UK, France, Belgium, Spain, Sweden, Austria, America, Australia, New Zealand, and the Middle East.