John Crewe is a largely self-taught artist, drawing inspiration from the best of modern art and the Old Masters; the rugged beauty of the north-eastern coastline as well as the spacious, solid tranquillity of the Yorkshire and Cumbrian dales. These influences are combined in a unique contemporary style.

John’s most characteristic work explores the complex, shifting boundaries between sea, sky and shore: the way in which water interacts with the coastline, the wind shivers the long grass and sunlight catches, fleetingly, in a breaking wave. These paintings are distillations of encounters with the natural world, both timeless and particular. 

However, landscapes and seascapes represent only one facet of John’s talent. It is a demonstration of his ability that he is as adept with charcoal on paper as with acrylic on canvas. In his powerful portraits and life studies, John captures the infinite subtleties of light as it falls on the planes of the body or face.  

John’s studio is situated in Hurworth-on-Tees, Darlington, Co Durham, but his work is enjoyed in a number of private collections as far afield as South Africa, France and southern Europe. He is a full-time artist, and is adding constantly to his portfolio. He welcomes private commissions, in any artistic genre and on a wide variety of subjects.