John Emanuel

John works with figure & landscape in unison & harmony to create works that have a sense of space; showing the relationship between the contours & shapes of figure & landscape.⁣

John was born in Bury, Lancashire in 1930. With no formal art training he started painting in 1963 & moved to Cornwall in 1964. John has been a Porthmeor Studio resident since the mid 80’s & has since worked continuously in his stunning space overlooking the glorious, ever changing seascape that surrounds his artistic home.⁣

John has received no formal art training, his background as a decorator has served as an excellent foundation. His natural creativity inspired by a love of his subject - the figure and the figure embraced by the landscape, has developed into a consistent style.

His drawings exhibit a clear, classical form and a simplicity of line which strengthens the relationship between the contours of the figure and the contours of the land. He loves the singular beauty of the Cornish coastline and the extraordinary light. The notion of forms sleeping beneath the earth are a recurring theme.

John works in a variety of media: charcoal, gouache, oils and, more recently mixed media and lino-types, a method he learned from John Wells. His preferred medium is oil paint using hand and mould made papers laid down on archive quality board.