John was born in 1937 and studied at Camberwell School of Arts from 1951-57. He was a commercial artist and illustrator for sixteen years before becoming a full-time artists. He began painting marine subjects in 1970. In 1971 he started exhibiting at the Royal Society of Marine Artists of which he was made a full member in 1977. John paints in pastel and oil and his subjects include naval battles, sail and steam, merchant ships, trawlers, square riggers, life afloat and on deck, colliers unloading, shipwrecks etc. He has been keenly interested in sailing ships since childhood and has seafaring experience in sail cruise vessels.