The landscape, certainly the most eternal and elemental of all artistic subjects, allows me to create worlds that reflect my view of reality — that the universe evolves in an unhurried but inexorable process that deserves respect and emulation. The implications of this point of view can be superimposed onto ecological considerations, or spiritual advancement, but I prefer to simply depict the landscape, in its placid and dynamic states, and celebrate each manifestation as a natural and inevitable reflection of a broader and mystical reality that must be taken on faith.

I endeavor to create both objective and subjective interpretations of specific places or experiences, exploring unusual light and extraordinary color or configurations that occur in the area’s infinite variety of outward manifestations. Natural forces, such as wind and water may be implied, and storms or celestial objects may also be represented, but overseeing each specific event or circumstance that is implied in any given painting, is the turning of the earth and the long march towards entropy and rebirth.

These paintings are generally executed in layers. A layer of free-flowing, multi-colored “underpainting” is applied by brush, allowed to form organic shapes, before the canvas is placed on the floor, face up, so that image will stabilize and dry. After the underpainting is dry enough to work over, a la prima bands of oil paint are laid over it, mostly with a print brayer and some areas of the underpainting are rubbed out and revealed with a paint rag or palette knife. Drawing is worked into the image with a brush or the edge of the print brayer and this process is repeated in several layers until the painting is finished.

I believe that mankind’s marks upon the earth are superficial and fleeting, and I try to depict and celebrate what is truly elemental in the landscape — the breathing of life into great watery vistas, seen through shifting, atmospheric veils, or the falling of sun light onto undisturbed dust.

Born in Saginaw, Michigan, 1941

Received MFA from The University of Washington, Seattle, 1970

Taught at The University of Washington and The University of Nebraska

Traveled and worked in eastern and western Europe, 1971, 1978, 1984, 1995, 2000, 2004

Traveled and worked in The Middle East,1990. (Yemen, Egypt, Tunisia, and Jordan)

Operated a photography studio for ten years

Staff photographer and archivist for Creede, Colorado Repertory Theater, 30 years

Currently working as a professional artist (painter), photographer and writer

Work featured in the following magazines:Architectural Digest, (on cover and in article) Smithsonian, Americana, Reader’s Digest, Fine Woodworking, Men’s Health,Arts Line, (Seattle) and Santa Fean.

Books published: Soul in the Stone, University of Kansas Press, 1994 (text and photographs by John Gary Brown) Gardens of Revelation, Abbeville Press, 1995, (photographs only)

Contributor for Encyclopedia of the Great Plains, University of Nebraska Press (text and photos)

COMMERCIAL GALLERIES

Foster/White Gallery, Seattle, Washington

Eklektikas Gallery, Silver City, New Mexico

Strecker/ Nelson Gallery, Manhattan, Kansas

Corporate Art Source, Chicago, Illinois

Hallar Gallery, Kansas City, Missouri

Cerulean Gallery, Dallas, Texas

Joseph Gierek: Fine Arts, Tulsa, Oklahoma

Phoenix Gallery, Topeka, Kansas

Walnut Street Gallery, Springfield, Missouri

SoOh Gallery, Lincoln, Nebraska

PRIZES EXHIBITIONS AND JURIED

Purchase award, Childe Hassam Fund, Institute of Arts and Letters, New York City

First prize, Mid-America Exhibition, Nelson Gallery, Atkins Museum, Kansas City

Purchase award, The Midwest Biennial, Joslyn Gallery , Omaha

Purchase award, Parnassass Exhibition, Seattle, Washington

Purchase award, Burien Annual, Burien, Washington

Purchase award, U.S. Embassies Exhibition, Washington, D.C.

Purchase Award, Kansas Artists Annual, Wichita, Kansas

Purchase award: Missouri Valley Exhibition, Topeka, Kansas

One-man show: Wichita Art Museum

International Exhibition of Graphic Arts, Ypsilanti, Michigan

Mid-American Exhibition, Kansas City, Missouri, (four years)

Kansas Artists Annual, Wichita, Kansas (five years)

Southwest Artists Annual, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Graduate Center International, Richland, Washington

Anacortes, Washington Annual Exhibition

Stopped entering juried exhibitions in 1970. (Work now shown only in commercial galleries)

ONE-PERSON SHOWS AT COMMERCIAL GALLERIES

FOSTER/WHITE GALLERY (SEATTLE)

1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1991, 1997

ART RESOURCES GALLERY (DENVER) 1983, 1985, 1986

C.G. REIN GALLERY (DENVER) 1987,1989, 1990

DUBOIS/REIN GALLERY (HOUSTON) 1986

C.G. REIN GALLERY (EDINA, MINNESOTA) 1988

C.G. REIN GALLERY (SANTA FE, N.M.) 1988

C.G. REIN GALLERY (SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA) 1985

KELLAS GALLERY (LAWRENCE, KANSAS) 1971, 1984

BEDYK GALLERY (KANSAS CITY, MO.) 1985, 1988

CORPORATE ART SOURCE (CHICAGO, ILL.) 1983, 1986, 1988, 1989

CORPORATE ART SERVICES (KANSAS CITY) 1993, 2000

ABBEY LANE GALLERY (CREEDE, COLORADO) 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1995, 1996, 1997

THE SOURCE, FINE ARTS (KANSAS CITY) 1990, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997

THE PHOENIX GALLERY (TOPEKA, KS.) 1996

WALNUT STREET GALLERY (SPRINGFIELD, MO) 1999

ROY’S GALLERY (LAWRENCE, KANSAS) 1999

EKLEKTIKAS GALLERY (SILVER CITY, N.M.) 2000, 2001, 2003, 2005

FIELDS GALLERY AND CERULEN GALLERY 2006

KANSAS MASTERS INVITATIONAL GROUP SHOW 2007

STRECKER/ NELSON GALLERY (MANHATTAN, KANSAS) 2001, 2004 – present

CERULEAN GALLERY (DALLAS/AMARILLO, TX) 2006 – present

John Gary Brown’s work has appeared in countless group exhibitions in museums and galleries. His work is included in over five hundred private, museum and corporate collections in The United States, Canada, Mexico, UK, Austria, Sweden, and Thailand.

(PARTIAL) LIST OF COLLECTIONS

NEW YORK CITY AND THE NORTH EAST- Institute of Arts and Letters (Childe Hassam Fund), Elizabeth Hubbard, actress, Mandy Patinkin and Kathryn Grody (two paintings), Larry Morgan and Julie Kushner (six paintings), Danbury, Connecticut, Owens/Danham, Redding Connecticut, Francis Cullinan and Baker Smith (six paintings), Pam Berlin and Billy Cardin (three paintings), Charlotte and Dave DePalma, Diane Sposito, Peggy and Tristan Wilson (five paintings), Cathy Harriman, Paoli, Pennsylvania, (two paintings) Ellen Deacon, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Dan and Sharon Daniels, Brookline, Mass., Karen Greenburg, Assonet, Mass, Mary Suzanne Johnson, Bethsda Md.

PACIFIC COAST AND PACIFIC NORTHWEST- Senator Brock Adams, John Voohees, art critic for Seattle Times (three paintings), Susan Phinney, art editor for Seattle Post Intelligencer, Peter Donnelly, managing director for Seattle Rep. Theater (two paintings), Nordstroms- Seattle and San Diego, Don Foster, gallery owner, (Seattle), Dr, Robert Olsen, Dr. Philip Anderson, Hyatt-Regency Hotel, Carmel, California, Bell Telephone, Seattle, Ron Parker, LosAngeles, Louis Fantasia, Los Angeles, Rebecca and James Conway, Woodland Hills, California (three paintings), Orbanco Corporation, Portland, Design Factor, Seattle, First Interstate Bank of Gig Harbor, Washington, Rohm Corporation, Santa Clara, Dr. Chris Thompson, Dr. Candace Christensen,Sacramento, Ric Rapp, Hilo, Hawaii (four paintings), Beau Gravite and Debbie Shapiro, Los Angeles

(two paintings), Federal Home Loan Bank, Oakland, California, Scheppe, Doolittle, Krug, Townsend, and Bieza, Seattle, Randy Signor, Seattle, Arthur Anderson and Company, Portac Forest Products, Tacoma, Washington, Rainier Bank, Seattle, Goodman City Center Parking, Carlson and Company, Insurance, Dr. Richard Raffel, Berkeley, California, Sally Smith, Berkeley, Washington Mutual Savings Bank, Brian and Barbara Finklestein, San Diego, Seattle/Tacoma Airport, John and Katy Myers, Laurie Metzinger, Dinah Wilson/Stone, Pam Hill, Northwest Acceptance Company, Portland, Steven Chase Associates, Rancho Mirage., California, Jo Nelson, John Savage, Dinah Wilson, Seattle, Advanco, Toni Danzig, San Francisco, Savarie and Chris Phaeton, Steve Wilson, San Francisco, Sally Brandt and Ray DeLury, Joseph, Oregon, Charlie Stadekker, Seattle (three paintings), Scott Wild, Cameno Island, Washington, Rick Wasserman, Los Angeles, Mat Hostetler, North Hollywood, California, Alan Echeverria and Dyan Sublet, Los Angeles, Ron Parker, Los Angeles, Alan Kent, Berkeley, California.

CHICAGO AND THE HEARTLAND

Baker, Knapp and Tubbs, Chicago, Kim McGuire, Evanston, Illinois, Chris and Don Tomei, Chicago, Joslyn Gallery, Omaha, Hoechst Marion Roussel, Inc.,

Westin/Crown Center Hotel, Kansas City, Nelson/ Atkins Museum, Kansas City, Utilicorp, Kansas City, Hallmark, Kansas City, Saul Ellis Company, Patrick Broody, Allen Hallquist, Kansas City, A.G. Becker, Chicago, Wichita Art Museum, Mike Mohr, Kansas City, Sheldon and Marcia Kushner, Lincoln, Nebraska, Stuart Deselms, Tulsa, Oklahoma, (two paintings) Denyse Johnson, Kansas City, Hank and Donna Brandt, Naperville, Illinois, Ginger Pope, Alton, Illinois, Greg Markowski, Kansas City (six paintings), Ross Freese, (three painings, Keith Brumley (three paintings), Richard and Susan Baxter, South Bend, Indiana, Virginia Hillix, gallery owner, Stan and Julie Lentz, Dave and Judy Claycomb, Mig Lillig and Kevin Amey, Peggy Friesen and Royal Scanlon, Bill and Nonie Newman (own three paintings), Jim Mitchell (owns three paintings), Hope and Marshall Talbot, Arlin and Elsie Crist, Jeff Tamblyn and Linda Plummer, Bev Chapman, television reporter, and Steve Hall, (own two paintings), Paul Dorrell, gallery owner, Overland Park Convention Center, Overland Park, Kansas, Mark and Nancy Gilman, Rosie Coppedge, Heyworth, Illinois, Hallmark, Kansas City, Saul

Ellis Company, Patrick Broody, Allan Hallquist, Jeanne Pees, Lawrence, Kansas, David and Mindy Weaver, Colin and Shauna Tominey, Manhattan, Kansas, Steve and Cynthia Haynes, Oberlin, Kansas, John and Gloria Hood, Baldwin, Kansas, (four paintings), Alan Terry and Mary Greene, Baldwin, Stephanie Smalter, Lawrence, Gail Underwood and Don Dorsey, Dan and Becky Schulte, Barbara and Bob Sudlow, Marty Olsen, Rick and Jeannie Averill, Nancy Hughes and Ogden Lindsley, David Longhearst, Nadra Dangerfield (two paintings), David and Linda Hixon, Christine Mercer and Jim Kraft, Nancy and Warren Zimmerman, Howard and Beverly Rosenfeld (three paintings), Guy and Dee Dee Dresser, George and Sherry Catt, Ron Schorr and Georgeann Eglinski, Carol and Charles Jones, Judy Juno, Mary and Gretchen

Edwards, Steve and Linda Millstein, Linda Burton, Michelle and Bird Loomis, Vernon Brown, Sylvia Brown, Susan Drummond, Scott McCune, Todd Thompson, Lawrence Memorial Hospital, P.R. Voldeng and Barbara Stevenson, Bowler, Wisconsin, Doug and Elaine Nelson (two paintings), Elaine Brewer, (three paintings) John and Klee Zaricky, Molly Brand, Sally Sutcliffe, Jim Roland, Kathy Pine (two paintings), Steve and Maria Pope, Lawrence, Kansas, Tony and Jeanne Hedrick, Minneapolis, Minnesota, C.G. Rein Galleries, Edina, Minnesota, Pam Davis, Booneville, Missouri, Bill and Carol McCall, Olathe, Kansas, Jimmie and Evelyn Couch, Joplin, Missouri, (three paintings) Valerie Couch, Little Rock, Arkansas, Dave and Sue Nutt, Lawrence (two paintings), Pat Olkowski, Cathy and Ralph Woods, St, Louis, Missouri, Don and Marilyn Hoffman, St. Louis, Missouri, Kendra Smalter, John Brandt, Lawrence, Kansas, Robert Habenstein, Columbia, Missouri,

THE SOUTHWEST

Mark Houston, Oklahoma City, United Bank of Houston, The Chubb Group, Stephanie Simonton, Dallas, Texas, Catherine Brennand, El Paso (three paintings). Dr.s Bill Smith and Nina Surawicz, Scottsdale, Arizona, Dr.s Ed and Minnie Lee Lancaster, Grapevine, Texas, (two paintings) Jane Grover, Taos, N.M., (two paintings) Rob Deacon, Placidas, N.M., Marge and Earl Deacon, Richard and Cathy Ormsby, (four paintings), Creede, Colorado, Betty Jean Myers,(two paintings) Harold and Margaret Rominger, Mike Green, Carlos and Carol Pinto, Lynna and Steve Jackson, Marta and Steve Quiller, Creede, Colo.

Lindsey and Joe Fox, Brian and Rosemary Egolf, Santa Fe (two paintings), Ed Boles and Michele Minnis, Corrales, N.M., Carolyn Lamb and Steve Reed, Santa Fe, Elizabeth Lamb, Sante Fe, Connie Wynkoop, Las Vegas, Nevada, Ann Graebner, Denver, Colo., Steve and Abra Houston, Denver, Kaylee Brennand, Vail, Colorado, Diana Dresser, Denver, Andrew Macfarlane, Denver, Greg and Julie Pickrell, Basalt, Ann Butler, Creede, Colorado, Bryan Anderson, Creede, Colorado, Cary Bush and Randy Nicolson, Ward, Colorado, (two paintings), Dave and Amanda Basler, Jenny and Tom Basler, Creede, Colorado, Wendy Wilde and Michael Behrens, Salt Lake City, Utah, David and Marcia Furnas, Tom Brand, Jim Matsen and North Johnson, Silver City, N.M., Michael Freed, Santa Fe, NM., Rebecca Sitterly, Albuquerque, New Mexico, Janet L. Brody, Ph. D, Albuquerque, N.M., Buddy Strait, Teluride, Colorado, Trary Maddelone and Maurice La Mee, Creede, Colorado, (two paintings), David and Lewise Crockett

MISC.

Dr.s Wallace and Natalie McLeod, Augusta, Georgia, Kay and Charles Lancaster, Charlottesvlle, Virginia, Olle Vallane, Charlotte, North Carolina, John and Jen Brandt, Cincinnati, Ohio, Mary Suzanne Johnson, Bethesda, Maryland, Monica and Chris Steele, Tampa, Florida, Laura Cullings, Vienna, Austria, Kjell and Suzanne Andersson, Stockholm, Sweden, Vivien Minshull/Ford, London, UK, U.S. Embassy, Bangkok, Thailand.