John Rowsome

THE BACKGROUND

Throughout the artist's career in diplomacy and executive positions in the public and private sectors, art has formed an integral part of life. Along his journey, John has had the fortune of being mentored and influenced by such noted artists as the Right Honourable R. Roy McMurtry, Lila Lewis Irving and Kim Lee Kho. Interest in art began early.  By age 10 he was accepted to the Vancouver Art Gallery school and took classes in art during his formal education. This backdrop along with living in different countries and capitals fuelled exploration into cultures, art genres and socio-economic circumstances.  Early influences included a life long love of nature, Canadian Tom Thomson and the Group of Seven artists followed by an equal fascination for the European modernist movement of the 18-1900's.  This in turn led the artist to focus on landscape and expressionism in oil.

THE PRESENT

A natural experimentation into the realm of objective and non-objective abstraction was inevitable.  The past 16-years have provided a time of learning and painting in the disciplined world of free form acrylic and associated medium application. It has captivated the energy and creativity of the artist whose studio is now on Haliburton Lake, Ontario.

THE PHILOSOPHY

Art is not just an aethetic exercise or endgame. It is a reflection of culture and experiences as well as an expression/exploration of the actions and passions of our past, present and future.  A blank, white canvas demands the attention of the artist's inner self; the courage to transform; the summoning of personal experiences; revelation; and the application of developing talent.