John Sumner
Artist's Statement/Quote
“I attempt to paint the animal in the animal, and in some cases, the human in the animal. Through texture, gesture and color, I create my distinctive critters—each one illustrating qualities that are unique."
John Sumner was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area. Today he and his wife Della live in Glen Ellen, California with their many, many cats. Of course, all of their cats are rescue cases and are spayed.
Holding a MFA in sculpture from the College of Arts and Crafts, John works in a number of mediums including acrylic, gouache and oil paint. A chance discovery of oil stick further increased his pleasure of doing animal interpretations because of the physical nature of the medium. Oil stick combines drawing, painting and etching — and as John says, “Hey, it’s nice and messy!”
An always present itching to take new creative directions, combined with his background in sculpture, led John to create the wacky painted metal critters he began making in the late nineties. These metal pieces are a wonderful culmination of his many artistic abilities, some of which have not been mentioned.
John views his creative talent and the whimsical work it fosters with a sense of humor. To summarize, “More could be said, but enough is enough already,” John says.
Awards/Special Exhibits
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