John Silver

Artist Biography

From an early age I can remember that all I wanted to be was an artist of art, prints and psoters. I will always be grateful to the teachers who would often let me sit at the back of the class by the window and draw whatever I liked, usually making up birds and horses. The girls liked me to draw horses for them. I gained a place at the Kings Grammar school purely on my ability to draw, this meant of course, that I had to work extra hard at my academic studies. After leaving school, I studied art at Manchester Polytechnic and North Staffordshire Polytechnic, which resulted in my art degree in graphic design and illustration.

Looking back, I always felt that I should really have studied Fine art. I taught myself the noble art of "photo retouching” using an airbrush, and after working for one year in a graphics agency, I decided to work for myself. I did this for the next ten years as well as opening an art shop and picture-framing gallery with my wife Lesley. In any spare time that I got I used to paint and study the art, prints, posters and techniques of the old masters.

After ten years of juggling jobs I decided it was time to turn professional, so I quit everything to concentrate on my art, prints and posters. Not long after this I became associated with Washington Green who published my very first print. My style back then was very illustrative and almost photographic. During the last eight years or so my style has evolved and is becoming much more "loose” and "painterly”. My driving obsession and burning desire has always been to improve with each painting and though it has been hard work I am enjoying every minute of it.

John Silver Art, Prints and Posters Collection