John Whytock was born in Glendale, California in 1950. He will tell you he is really just a guitar player, having been a professional musician throughout high school and as a young adult. As touring does not work well for family life, his father-in-law got him a job as a carpenter’s apprentice. It was not until after spending 6 years in that profession and achieving journeyman status that he realized construction was not what he wanted to do for the rest of his life. He had a talent for drawing but could not afford a formal education with a young family. With the idea that illustration would allow him to learn his craft and make a living at the same time, he began working toward his goal. Every evening after work in between caring for his young children, he would draw for hours working to improve his skills. The portfolio he developed in those evening hours eventually led to employment as an artist and, in 1979, the beginning of his seven year apprenticeship - two years as an in-house illustrator, and five years in a mural studio, becoming principal artist in both establishments. In 1986 he ventured out on his own upon winning a mural competition for Mission San Juan Capistrano. He spent many years painting murals and fine art before receiving several long-term mural and diorama commissions for the NRA National Sporting Arms Museum, and The Wonders of Wildlife National Museum and Aquarium, both located in Springfield, Missouri, and the last of which was completed at the end of 2017.
Since the beginning of 2018 he has returned his focus to fine art, winning numerous awards from various organizations. He was honored to have three of his works chosen as finalists in the prestigious 14th International ARC Salon. His work has been published in Plein Air Magazine, and he was a contributing author for their online publication, Outdoor Painter. John is a member of numerous local and national professional organizations including: International Guild of Realism, The Society of Animal Artists, Oil Painters of America, Portrait Society of America and is a Signature Member of both National Oil and Acrylic Painters’ Society and Heartland Art Club.
“Beauty, like truth, exists. And we, as human beings, have an almost divine capacity to recognize it. Art, for me, is an expression in paint of what my heart feels when my eyes are opened to the vast and amazing splendor of creation. Despite the myriad struggles and changes on the path of a career artist, this one unchanging fact remains: I paint because if I did not, my heart might explode. When a kindred spirit is touched while viewing my painting and feels that same infilling, that same indescribable longing and appreciation for our marvelous world, I consider that work a success”. John Whytock
* This statement has been provided directly by the artist in association to their 15th International ARC Salon entries. This content has not been edited for typos or grammatical errors and has not been vetted for accuracy.
