"As
a little kid, I used to illustrate the walls of my bedroom — against my
parents’ wishes, the artist explains. "I climbed up into the closet and
actually used crayons on the ceiling." Thus is how John Simpkins began
to express himself through art following formal art studies at Napa
College and with the renowned Earl Thollander, Simpkins later explored
the museums of the U.S. and Europe for further inspiration.
He
sought to eliminate any remnant of academia and "let the child come
out," he explained. "I discovered that American primitive art appealed
to me. It gave me a warm feeling so I began to experiment with that."
Simpkins’ strong, bold and graphic style is deceptively simple. His
paintings please and uplift with a single glance but then unfold with
layers of meaning. The artist explains, "My work evolves slowly and
intuitively from the heart." Almost always, Simpkins includes a "bit of
the vinegar of life" along with happy symbols and motifs such as hearts,
checkerboards, cats, gardens, etc.
Simpkins painting style is equally "layered." His use of paint and color
is subtly complex and often includes the use of gold leaf. For years his
art was unseen outside of a few, select, private collections, but once
viewed his paintings are not forgotten, so word eventually reached
galleries, museums and publishers. His creations have now been exhibited
from America to England and published in a variety of books and
magazines.
Picture This
framing & gallery is an authorized representative for:
The Greenwich Workshop, Millpond Press, Somerset House,
The Western Lights Artists Group,
The Artist's Garden, Clearwater Publishing and other Fine Art publishers
Contact Us for more info.
