John Whytock (b. 1950) is a contemporary realist painter who has been a professional artist since 1979. His award-winning paintings have shown in galleries throughout the U.S. and his work can be found in public and private collections throughout the world.
John began his career as a self-taught pen and ink artist receiving numerous fine art commissions that served as a catalyst to gain steady work in illustration. In the old-world tradition, he served a seven-year apprenticeship – two years as an in-house illustrator, and five years in a mural studio, becoming principal artist in both establishments.
In 1986 he ventured out on his own upon winning a mural competition for Mission San Juan Capistrano. In the competitive world of art in Las Vegas in the 1990’s he was commissioned to complete over 150 custom paintings. He relocated from southern California to Springfield, Missouri in 2011 to complete numerous long-term commissions, including The Wonders of Wildlife National Museum and Aquarium, and the NRA National Sporting Arms Museum.
In 2018, after many years primarily painting murals, John returned his focus to fine art. Since then, he has won numerous awards from various organizations, including National Oil and Acrylic Painters’ Society, Oil Painters of America, International Guild of Realism, and Plein Air Salon Art Competition. His work has been published in Plein Air Magazine, and he was a contributing author for their online publication, Outdoor Painter.
John’s current work focuses on a semi-romantic, realistic style that has been influenced by various representational artists from many eras, including: Sorolla, Sargent, Alma Tadema, Waterhouse, Fechin, Tiepolo, and 20th century artists, Clark Hulings, Howard Terpning and Frank McCarthy, to name a few.
John is a member of numerous local, national, and international professional organizations including International Guild of Realism, The Society of Animal Artists, and is a Signature Member of Oil Painters of America, National Oil and Acrylic Painters’ Society and Heartland Art Club. Lastly, he has received the great honor of being designated as an Associate Living Master by ARC.
* This statement has been provided directly by the artist in association to their 16th International ARC Salon entries. This content has not been edited for typos or grammatical errors and has not been vetted for accuracy.