PHIL JOHNS

Phil Johns fell in love with art at a young age and, despite pursuing many different vocations, has never found anything he enjoys more than creative exploration.

For Phil, making art is an ongoing process of learning and quiet reflection. Painting gives form to his observations, questions and search for a deeper understanding of both the world and himself. He believes a strong foundation in realism—learning to observe and represent clearly—creates the freedom to explore atmosphere, geometry, abstraction, psychological depth and expressive colour.

His influences range from the Renaissance and the work of Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo to the Heidelberg School, European Modernism, Art Nouveau, Art Deco, the Bauhaus, the Ashcan School and American Postmodernism. He also draws inspiration from artists including Alex Colville, Edward Hopper, Jeffrey Smart, Lucian Freud, Renoir and J. M. W. Turner. Rather than copying these traditions, Phil sees them as an ongoing conversation that helps him develop his own visual language.