Landscape and wildlife artist John Potter was raised in the Great Lakes Country, and grew up with an abiding love for the natural world among the lakes, rivers and forests of the Great Northwoods. He discovered drawing and painting at a very early age, and went on to graduate from Utah State University with an Art Degree emphasizing Painting and Illustration. Potter spent 20 years as an award-winning illustrator for the Billings Gazette newspaper in Montana before turning his attention to fine art on a full time basis.

Of his work, he says, “Painting for me is an intimate form of communication with, and gratitude for, our Creator; for the life and beauty of this Earth and our remaining wild places.”

Potter has exhibited his work in shows throughout the U.S., including the Arts for the Parks competition, and the prestigious Western Visions Miniature Show at the National Museum of Wildlife Art in Jackson, Wyoming.

He paints en plein air and works to achieve visual harmonies in light and color. Working directly from nature, he believes in the all-pervading divinity of the natural world, and is always striving for an honest expression of the way light reveals beauty to his eyes and heart. John spends many hours in the field, observing and studying light, mood, and the ever-changing effects of atmosphere on the land. He carries paints and a sketchbook wherever he goes, and he travels extensively – yet his favorite subjects remain the rugged mountain scenery of the American West.

He says, “When I step outside to paint, my intent is to orchestrate a moment of light, color, and my own emotional responses to those subjects on canvas. My hope is that the viewer will see the natural world through my eyes, and gain an appreciation for the quiet dignity that I find in the wild - perhaps even feel that sense of awe and gratitude as well – and hopefully, then, share a desire to help preserve this Earth that belongs to us all.”

Potter is represented by Galleries West Fine Art, Jackson, WY; Loch Vale Fine Art, Estes Park, CO; Village Arts of Putney, Putney, VT; Wild Spirit Gallery, Pagosa Springs, CO; The Depot Gallery, Red Lodge, MT; and Germanton Gallery, Germanton, NC;   he is a member of Oil Painters of America (OPA), and the Rocky Mountain Plein Air Painters (RMPAP).

He and his wife, Janet, divide their time between homes in Vermont and Montana.

  Events, awards, and exhibitions:

- Guest artist, Native American Arts Council Exhibit, Portland Art Museum, Portland, OR, 6/03

- Arts for the Parks Mini 50, Jackson, WY, 9/03

- OPA National Exhibition, Kirkland, WA, 5/04

- RMPAP National Exhibition, Estes Park, CO, 8/04

- Western Visions Miniature Show, National Museum of Wildlife Art, Jackson, WY, 9/04, 05, 06

- OPA Eastern Regional Exhibition, WI, 11/04

- Featured Artist/Award of Excellence, RMPAP National Exhibition, Jackson, WY, 7/05

- Arts for the Parks Top 100 and Mini 100, Jackson, WY, 9/05

- Mural project (two murals) for the Montana Historical Society Museum’s “Neither Empty nor Unknown” Exhibit – Helena, MT, 2005 through 2006

- Annual Landscape Exhibition, with Richard Schmid and the Putney Painters, Putney, VT, 10/05

- Director’s Choice Award, RMPAP, 1/06

- Award of Excellence, RMPAP National Exhibition, Winter Park, CO, 8/06

- Arts for the Parks 2^nd 100, Jackson, WY, 9/06

- Fall Arts Festival Quick Draw Artist, Jackson, WY, 9/03. 04, 05, 06

- Artist-in-Residence, National Museum of Wildlife Art, Jackson, WY, 7/07         

- Sold-out show and Award of Merit, RMPAP National Exhibition, Winter Park, CO, 8/07