John

Over the years I have got to know John, not just as an artist, but as my best friend and husband. I have seen him at his best and definitely at his worst. I've gone through it all with him and it has been a wonderful journey. I’d like to share with you a little of the story so far.

John was born in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, in 1988. April 3rd to be exact. Over the next 21 years, John remained in Huddersfield at home with his parents. During this time, he began to follow his passions for bodybuilding, wrestling, music, youth work and eventually, his true love, art. John applied himself fully to his passions, winning awards in bodybuilding, learning to play guitar beautifully, becoming passionate about the lives of others and developing his skills with a paintbrush. Sadly, during John's biggest accomplishments in bodybuilding, he took ill and was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis;
a debilitating condition that attacks the immune system and intestine. However, John has always had an interesting way of looking at things and whereas many would give up or limit themselves, John felt that, regardless of his diagnosis, he was going to leave his mark on the world.

It was around this time, when John turned on the TV and landed on a programme that would change his life forever. A ginger, afro-haired man by the name of Bob Ross appeared on the T.V: A world-famous teacher on how to paint, John became mesmerised and fell in love with art and Bob Ross. John found brushes and paper and began painting and learning his techniques. Through the struggles and trials of the learning process, he never gave up and began to develop his own style. I especially love his mountain and seascapes as they evoke the true heart of John on canvas. They’re just beautiful.
John’s unique approach to life and people opened up the opportunity to work with youth. This eventually brought John to Scotland where he took up the position of Youth Pastor with a local Church of Scotland. He built up a youth group that was a mixture of youth who attended the Church, and those from the surrounding community. It was the community youth that John found a particular affinity with and expended great energy on making them feel valued and a part of something worthwhile.

John got the opportunity to include his art skills with the youth group which incorporated the chance to voice their views on God, life, and society while they learned a new skill. The duo aspect of the activity created a safe place for attendees to be who they were and express themself. One of John's greatest gifts is the ability to listen and ask the right questions at the right time, a gift that John not only put to good use here but has used all through his adult life to help and reach people from all walks of life.
In 2011 John began taking jobs as an illustrator with authors Cindy Freland, Anna Renault, Latoya Williams, and Yvette Albury, among others. In 2013, an amazing opportunity to travel to the USA on tour with his art business presented itself.

His dear friend, the late Anna Renault, organised and hosted John on this trip, forging a lasting friendship that I know he will always treasure.
During this amazing time, he was brought back down to earth with a bang as his landlord and "best friend" decided to evict John whilst still on tour. On his return to Scotland, he found his whole life had been packed up and left in a terrible bedsit. The turmoil that John felt during this time affected him deeply and has taken many years to work through. John spent eight months in the bedsit, a difficult period of time that was punctuated with, I hope, an incredibly happy occurrence. He met me!
At the end of the eight months, determined to fight onward, yet feeling fundamentally changed by this, and other experiences, John moved into his own flat. The pressures of life changed John, but thankfully, he never lost that wonderful spirit and drive for life. I have never met anyone who has the self-discipline that John has. It drives me nuts sometimes! By May 2014, John and I were engaged!

Life has a funny way of throwing curve balls, as Anna Renault used to often say. I have seen him ill with both Dyspraxia and Colitis and yet his determination to succeed paved the way for him to build a full-time art business where he could work from home. When our usual means of income became fruitless because of marketing changes on Facebook, John built an Art School reaching over 45 students. He has literally gone from having almost nothing, to being able to buy our first home. It has been such a journey and I invite you to share the journey with us as we continue our adventure through life.
This book which you are holding in your hands, has launched a brand-new branch to our business called Mind, Body & Soul. It seeks to encourage, motivate, and inspire you through the craziness of day-to-day life and put that spring back into your step.
There is so much more to his story and one day if you're lucky he may just share with you a chapter or two.

Katie