John Hutchens was born in London in 1950 and studied graphic design at Folkestone School of Art. During the 70's and 80's he worked in advertising and design agencies in London and the South East as a visualiser and graphic designer. It was in the 90’s, whilst director of a design consultancy, that he continued to develop his artistic talent by painting watercolours in his spare time.

John has been painting full time since 2005 and is a prolific painter who paints outside in all weathers, attempting to complete the work in a single session. (He has recently taken to using a blow torch to speed up the drying process in damp weather, and has set fire to his gloves on many occasions!)

John now paints almost exclusively on location in the West Country and from his studios in North Cornwall and Surrey. He is particularly fascinated by the winter light and enjoys painting marine and coastal subjects.

‘There is an urgency about painting in front of the subject that I don’t feel when working in the studio. Out on location I work faster than in the studio, but the time seems to go slower. You have to contend with the weather and a constant changing light, especially when the days are short, all of which adds energy to the painting and brings it to life.’