John Crush

I was born in Hampstead, London, on July 8th, 1962.
In  1980 I moved to Lynton, North Devon, and lived, studied and worked there until until September 2018, at which time I moved to the North of France.

When I lived in Lynton I worked for Bray Leino Ltd, as an illustrator in the 1980’s. However I had ambitions to be a professional fine artist, and with the encouragement of my friend, Mick Cawston, who was a highly respected published artist, I began drawing portraits from life, at Barnstaple pannier market in 1999. There I painted my first mural at the local cafe which is still enjoyed by the customers. Soon after I began drawing portraits of the tourists at the New Gallery in Woolacombe. It was there that Josie Huxtable, the gallery owner, inspired me to try painting seascapes in pastels, giving me some great tuition. After a few years I felt that I needed to stretch myself creatively, so I began studying for my Fine Art degree in September 2008, which I successfully completed at Somerset College of Art and Technology in 2011.
In recent years I have painted several murals, including fresques of surfers at Baggys Lodge in Croyde, and Exmoor landscapes on private houses.
In France I began my business with the help of The Village Des Metiers D’Art at Desvres where I had a spacious studio. I participated in several events and received a lot of support. I now have an art workshop at the beautiful coastal town of Wimereux, and continue to create mural paintings, and portraits for clients in France, as well as working on seascapes and abstract paintings.