John Thornton was born in York in 1944 and lived there until moving to Selby at the age of 8. He lived in Cornwall for three years during his 20s and has retained a deep affection for that county, and then in London for 5 years, but since then has lived and worked in Selby, North Yorkshire.
In the 1970s he made leather clothing to sell in London’s Kings Road but for most of his life has made his living working in wood – carving, renovating carousel horses, and making & repairing furniture. This involvement with the creative process was combined with a lifelong interest in painting. He decided to concentrate more on painting and finally, in March 2004, made the bold decision to paint full-time.
He continually experiments with painting media, using acrylic, watercolour gouache, and ink, mixed, with elements such as sand to create the textures in his paintings and to enable the materials to run and bleed into each other.
John has always had a love of the sea & it therefore attracted him as a subject for his painting, particularly its constant changes in nature and mood. Visits to Cornwall, or the coast around Scarborough and Whitby which especially fascinates him, provide endless inspiration, & also materials collected while beachcombing which he incorporates. He uses photographs as reference material, particularly to observe the effect of light on water, but otherwise works from brief sketches and memory.
In addition, he has recently begun painting woodland scenes, especially Askham Bog, a nature reserve near York, & Skipwith Common, south of York.
John says of his work:
Painting for me is not only about pleasure, it is a challenge to create a piece that reflects and encaptures the essence of a subject. If people can sense and appreciate those aspects of my work, I feel that I have in part achieved my intention.
In 2001 he entered the Leeds Open exhibition and the Open Exhibition at the Ferens Gallery in Hull, both for the first time, and in Hull was one of the five prizewinners. He has since shown regularly at both venues. In 2003 John first showed with the prestigious Royal Society of Marine Artists at the Mall Galleries in London. Since then he has had work accepted each year & was invited to become a member. In addition he shows with galleries in Yorkshire, Cambridgeshire and Wiltshire.
It was in 2001 at the Ferens Gallery in Hull that he was first spotted by Kentmere House Gallery owner, Ann Petherick. He has been showing at the gallery since 2002 & has been one of its most successful artists. All has provided a well-deserved boost to his confidence and persuaded him to continue experimenting with different techniques and subject matters. He took part in ‘Northern colour’. an exhibition organised by Kentmere House Gallery at Newby Hall, near Ripon, where he was the best-selling artist.
Recent exhibitions
John’s work is permanently on show at Kentmere House Gallery. He has also shown at:
| Royal Society of Marine Artists | Mall Galleries | London |
| Ferens Gallery | Hull | Open exhibition – prizewinner |
| Leeds City Art Gallery | Open exhibition | |
| Scarborough Art Gallery | Open exhibition | |
| Zillah Bell | Thirsk | |
| Chantry Gallery | Ripley | |
| University of York | The King’s Manor | curated by Kentmere House Gallery |
| South Street Gallery | Scarborough | |
| Castle Howard | on behalf of York Against Cancer | |
| Godfrey & Watt | Harrogate | |
| Newby Hall, Ripon | ‘Northern colour’ | curated by Kentmere House Gallery |
| Langwith College | York one-person show | curated by Kentmere House Gallery |
| Doncaster Art Gallery | Open exhibition | |
| Whitestone Gallery | St. Peter’s School | solo show |
| ‘The Art of Care’ | invited artist, charity auction | Edinburgh |
| First View Gallery | NT Stourhead Estate | Wiltshire |
| Montage Gallery | Castleton Group exhibition | |
| Selby Town Hall | Two-man exhibition |
Work is in the collection of the University of York
John Thornton
John Thornton was born in York in 1944 and lived there until moving to Selby at the age of 8. He lived in Cornwall for three years during his 20s and has retained a deep affection for that county, and then in London for 5 years, but since then has lived and worked in Selby, North Yorkshire.
In the 1970s he made leather clothing to sell in London’s Kings Road but for most of his life has made his living working in wood – carving, renovating carousel horses, and making & repairing furniture. This involvement with the creative process was combined with a lifelong interest in painting. He decided to concentrate more on painting and finally, in March 2004, made the bold decision to paint full-time.
He continually experiments with painting media, using acrylic, watercolour gouache, and ink, mixed, with elements such as sand to create the textures in his paintings and to enable the materials to run and bleed into each other.
John has always had a love of the sea & it therefore attracted him as a subject for his painting, particularly its constant changes in nature and mood. Visits to Cornwall, or the coast around Scarborough and Whitby which especially fascinates him, provide endless inspiration, & also materials collected while beachcombing which he incorporates. He uses photographs as reference material, particularly to observe the effect of light on water, but otherwise works from brief sketches and memory.
In addition, he has recently begun painting woodland scenes, especially Askham Bog, a nature reserve near York, & Skipwith Common, south of York.
John says of his work:
Painting for me is not only about pleasure, it is a challenge to create a piece that reflects and encaptures the essence of a subject. If people can sense and appreciate those aspects of my work, I feel that I have in part achieved my intention.
In 2001 he entered the Leeds Open exhibition and the Open Exhibition at the Ferens Gallery in Hull, both for the first time, and in Hull was one of the five prizewinners. He has since shown regularly at both venues. In 2003 John first showed with the prestigious Royal Society of Marine Artists at the Mall Galleries in London. Since then he has had work accepted each year & was invited to become a member. In addition he shows with galleries in Yorkshire, Cambridgeshire and Wiltshire.
It was in 2001 at the Ferens Gallery in Hull that he was first spotted by Kentmere House Gallery owner, Ann Petherick. He has been showing at the gallery since 2002 & has been one of its most successful artists. All has provided a well-deserved boost to his confidence and persuaded him to continue experimenting with different techniques and subject matters. He took part in ‘Northern colour’. an exhibition organised by Kentmere House Gallery at Newby Hall, near Ripon, where he was the best-selling artist.
Recent exhibitions
John’s work is permanently on show at Kentmere House Gallery. He has also shown at:
| Royal Society of Marine Artists | Mall Galleries | London |
| Ferens Gallery | Hull | Open exhibition – prizewinner |
| Leeds City Art Gallery | Open exhibition | |
| Scarborough Art Gallery | Open exhibition | |
| Zillah Bell | Thirsk | |
| Chantry Gallery | Ripley | |
| University of York | The King’s Manor | curated by Kentmere House Gallery |
| South Street Gallery | Scarborough | |
| Castle Howard | on behalf of York Against Cancer | |
| Godfrey & Watt | Harrogate | |
| Newby Hall, Ripon | ‘Northern colour’ | curated by Kentmere House Gallery |
| Langwith College | York one-person show | curated by Kentmere House Gallery |
| Doncaster Art Gallery | Open exhibition | |
| Whitestone Gallery | St. Peter’s School | solo show |
| ‘The Art of Care’ | invited artist, charity auction | Edinburgh |
| First View Gallery | NT Stourhead Estate | Wiltshire |
| Montage Gallery | Castleton Group exhibition | |
| Selby Town Hall | Two-man exhibition |
Work is in the collection of the University of York
Gallery
