His home county, especially the wonderful towns and villages along the East coast is the inspiration for much of his work, seen and drawn with a different view of familiar places. consciously avoiding clichéd postcard views of places, but actively looking for a different angle or quirky view.

"I now work almost exclusively in a crisp line style, with minimal colour. This sparse, uncluttered feels the most natural thing in the world , and I hope that feeling comes through in my work - I strive not to 'over egg the pudding' but the most difficult thing, as any artist will tell you, is to know when to stop."

John is an active participant in the Urban Sketchers global phenomenon, attending at least one organised Sketchcrawl a month, with a busy calendar of demonstrations and workshops with art clubs and societies across the North, and beyond.