AnnickPress

As a child, John enjoyed all kinds of sports. He began golfing when he was 16 and still loves it. 

When he was 11 years old, he had a serious illness that confined him to hospital for several months. While he was there, he started drawing to pass the time. After high school, he left his hometown of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, to attend the Ontario College of Art in Toronto. 

John loved the paintings of Caravaggio when he was young. He cites them as one of the major influences on his own work. He paints in oils and an oil wash that can resemble watercolors. Leonardo da Vinci's sketches were the inspiration behind the artwork for The Siege (2007). His latest book with Annick Press is Crusades (Fall 2009) in the Kids @ the Crossroads series, where once again, he demonstrates his incredible attention to historical details. 

John currently makes his home in Toronto, Ontario, with his wife, his stepdaughter, and their cat, Charlotte.