John's work is as diverse as the land where he grew up. As an authentic cowboy artist, his ideas come from those western Wyoming landscapes and they often express the cowboy's place in his everyday life. His life as a cowboy and years as a big game hunting guide provide the inspiration for his work. He paints, sculpts and carves the fleeting spirit of the West.
John is a third generation native of Wyoming. He was raised and still lives on the family cattle ranch on the East Fork of the Wind River, which his grandfather established over 100 years ago. In 2007 the Finley/Duncan family received the Wyoming Centennial Farm and Ranch Award from the Wyoming State Historic Preservation Office. This program honors families that have owned and operated the same farm or ranch for 100 years or more.
His formal art education began early in a one-room school on the ranch where he experienced his first two years of school before being bussed into Dubois. Further art education came from Mary Back, a well-known local art instructor, and the Dubois School System. John enrolled at Central Wyoming College after being discharged from the U.S. Army in 1969 and attended classes in art history, drawing and painting. He has furthered his education with workshops and has found much inspiration through the Susan K. Black Foundation art workshops, which he has participated in for the last four years. The Susan K. Black Foundation has provided instruction and inspiration from world-renowned artists such as David Rankin, Stephen Quiller, Joseph Bohler, Greg Beecham, John Ruthkin, John and Suzie Seery-Lester, and others. John has taught classes in watercolor painting for the Wind River Valley Artists' Guild (WRVAG) and was the featured scrimshander at the Wyoming Centennial Celebration in Cheyenne in 1990. He also demonstrated scrimshaw for the Frontier Festival at the Buffalo Bill Historical Center in Cody, Wyoming for 13 years.
John began exhibiting his art professionally in 1979 and has won many ribbons. His most recent award was a 1st Place in Professional Watercolor at the WRVAG Miniature Show in October, 2011. His bronze sculpture, "Back From the Past", won a 3rd Place in Other Media at the Susan K. Black Foundation art workshop in September, 2011. Awards received in 2009 include the coveted Wildlife Art Award at the WRVAG National Show, 2nd Place Acrylic WRVAG National Show, 2nd Place Acrylic Susan K. Black art workshop show and a Popular Award WRVAG Miniature Show. Awards received in 2008 include 1st Place Watercolor WRVAG National Show, Honorable Mention Acrylic WRVAG National Show, 2nd Place Watercolor WRVAG Miniature Show, 2nd Place Acrylic WRVAG Miniature Show and 1st Place Acrylic Susan K. Black art workshop show. He is most pleased, however, with his numerous People's Choice and Popular Awards, the latest of which was awarded at the WRVAG National Miniature Show in 2009. He also earned the 1st and 2nd place People's Choice in the WRVAG 2005 Annual Miniature Show. One of John's watercolors won the Purchase Award for the permanent collection of the WRVAG. A few of his other awards are: 2nd Place Watercolor Susan K. Black Foundation art workshop show 2005, 2nd Place Miniature WRVAG National Show 2005 and 2006, 1st Place Sculpture at the Red Desert Audubon Wildlife Show 1996, the Fine Art Award at the Buffalo Bill Historical Center, Frontier Festival 1992, and 1st Place Sculpture at the WRVAG National Show 1981 and 1986. His works are in many private collections from coast to coast as well as in Europe, Australia and Japan.
Much of John's current work is available at the Silver Sage Gallery in Dubois, and a sample of his work can also be seen in the WRVAG gallery in Dubois, Wyoming.
Contact the Artist: John P. Finley, 1144 East Fork Road, Dubois, WY 82513
E-mail: artist@johnpfinley.com
© Copyright 2011 by East Fork Arts. All rights reserved.
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