Born in Sydney in 1945, John’s early life was something of a Huckleberry Finn existence. Surrounded by large tracts of land, parks and rivers, he was relatively free to roam during his schooling years, and explored the surrounding areas extensively, developing a love of nature in the process, and a familiarity with many of its aspects.
John’s early drawing skills were evident even at four years of age when he would attempt to capture many of the scenes that he saw on holiday, and around where he lived, on large sheets of butchers’ paper.
By age 11 he was entering and winning art competitions at the local theatres and schools, winning free movie tickets for himself and his friends. Many of his holidays were spent with friends and relatives in…