About John, GALLERY REPRESENTATION
Artist Statement
A striving for composition, color, and story often influences the subject that I choose to paint. The lay of the land and its under-the-surface geology adds to my understanding of topographic gesture, appearance of vegetative patterns, and flow of the landscape.
Winds, seasons, textures, the flight of birds, balance imbalance, gravity, drainage, the ebb and flow of tides and shorelines; the interconnectedness of all things. The slow but constant shifting of the Earth’s crustal plates. These all interest and fascinate me, and I think of these things as I sketch and paint.
Cartooning and animation have been a natural part of my life, allowing me to bring a sense of humor into illustrations, t-shirt designs, and ceramic sculptures. I have my family background with Walt Disney Studios to thank for this inspiration.
As a plein air instructor over the past 30 years at Santa Barbara Community College’s Adult Education, I’ve been able to share Nature, Painting, and Interpretation with students and like-minded professionals. I’m honored to share my life with my gifted wife, Chris. We’ve shared many painting adventures together throughout California, including our time as Preserve Managers at the Arroyo Hondo Preserve for the Santa Barbara County Land Trust.
— John Iwerks
REPRESENTED BY Waterhouse Gallery, La Arcada, 1114 State St. # 9, Santa Barbara, CA 93101 (805) 962-8885