| John was a great friend to many. He was a passionate artist and a passionate supporter of the arts. All who knew him are better for the experience. He will be missed. |
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John speaks about his work: I drew my first nude as a 16-year-old high schooler in New York City in 1959. A classmate took a small group of us to open life drawing at the famous Art Students League in Manhattan. There, for less than a dollar, we drew the figure for two hours with a few dozen other artists. I had never seen a live nude model before, but after a minute or so of trepidation, I began to draw. And immediately I was hooked. There was something about the abstract beauty of the figure — plus the model's inherent humanness, sensuality and personality — that I wanted to capture.In time, I saw the figure as a template for experiments in color, expression, abstraction and playfulness. That's where I am now, using the figure to explore a wide visual vocabulary. People have called me an abstract painter, an expressionist, a fauve, a colorist and Matisse-like. Who knows?Some of the artists where I have my studio, in Western Avenue Studios in Lowell, Mass., wonder why I use different models. “All his models look alike,” they say. But I need models. They are my collaborators, whose style and personalities influence my paintings as much as their torsos, limbs and faces.One piece, the large scroll/mural "Movement," was a true collaboration. Artist/model Alyshia del Lien posed for a series of quick contour gestures I painted on a 30-foot-long roll of watercolor paper. Then, she added streams of color around, over and through the figures, giving them a new level of life.I hope you enjoy looking through my work. If you have questions, comments or are interested in purchasing any, please click on the contact link.Thank you, and with warmest regards,John Greenwald |
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