John McKinstry

Mesmerising and atmospheric, John's painterly rural scenes combine aesthetic beauty and technical panache with an overwhelming sense of peace. He finds much of the inspiration for his work in the shape of isolated farms and cottages on remote hillsides and moorland, along the rugged Atlantic coast, or on the gentle slopes of the Sussex Downs.  

Although he received no formal artistic training, John has always painted and has spent over thirty years researching and refining various techniques and mediums to best achieve the evocative interpretations of the landscapes that have brought him such success. 

In creating his pictures, John uses layers of paint which he builds up then treats by scratching, washing or 'splattering' before adding the next layer to form the texture and depth which characterises his work.  

John has made the decision after nearly nine years working with a major publisher to branch out and become an independent artist. 

"Having been brought up in Hertfordshire, living in Sussex and now the West Country, no one landscape holds anymore influence than another, from the rural fields of the home counties, the Sussex Downs, the many English moorlands and the Atlantic Coast, all have played their part in helping to inspire and shape, giving me the opportunity to do something I can't imagine not doing."