John has been drawing since he was old enough to hold a pencil. Brought up in the Potteries, he left Stoke-on-Trent College of Art with a National Diploma in Design in Painting at Special Level and moved to East Anglia where he taught geography for a number of years.

However, his love of wild places, where light and weather can change the landscape dramatically, drew him to the western Yorkshire Dales and he set up The Hill Studio in Dent in 1976. Although trained as an oil painter, John enjoys the challenge of experimenting with different media. All kinds of subjects spark his interest and inspiration often comes from actual experiences, such as some chance effect of light seen and captured in the minds eye. Influenced by the Impressionists, and particularly Alfred Sisley, John places great importance on painterly qualities such as the calligraphy of pen and brush in his work.

You will find Hill Studio just pass the Post Office on the left. The Studio is open most days but, to be sure, please phone first on 015396 25354