Description
About me
Hello My name is John Kuhenbeaker. I have been interested in art and creating since I was a young boy. I have been painting at a somewhat professional level (whatever that is ) for thirty years. I grew up during the 1970s and it was at that time I began to draw and paint my early influences were album and poster art from that era. One particular artist that influenced me was Rick Griffin. In my senior year of high school I decided I wanted to be a professional artist. I went to a commercial art school and when I found out what commercial art was I decided to study illustration. Upon graduation I tried to get a job as an illustrator and to find an agent even making a few trips into N.Y.C. These trips did not bear any fruit so I began to try and pick up my own work .. I was asked to do a portrait of someone so I did it and it was horrific. This motivated me to study the Old Master's techniques and I became a better portrait artist which is my bread and butter . I do concept pieces as well and basically paint the things I love; Hot rods, women, motorcycles , and rock and roll . I still study and continue to learn new techniques and still practice figure drawing. I live in Georgia now and paint full time now ! was fortunate that circumstances in my life worked out the way they had so I can now do what I love for a living !
Work / Education
I attended the Art Institute of Philadelphia and studied illustration I graduated in 1987. In the time since then I have studied the paintings and learned the techniques of the Old Masters which has been a big help to me. I have also participated in many art shows and have even had a handful of solo exhibitions, I guess the highlight of my career was when I won first prize in drawing in 2011 in a local art competition in North Carolina. I have also won first prize for painting in 2016 and again for mixed media in the same year ! I was also fortunate enough to show my work in N.Y.C at Sub Culture gallery from 1996-1998. I currently display my work at the Paulding Fine Arts Association Old Courthouse Gallery in Dallas Ga. I do commission art work and teach art at my home studio
