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."As a little kid, I used to illustrate the walls of my bedroom — against my parents’ wishes, the
artist explains. "I climbed up into the closet and actually used crayons on the ceiling." Thus is
how John Simpkins began to express himself through art Follow-ing formal art studies at Napa
College and with the renowned Earl Thollander, Simpkins later explored the museums of the U.
S. and Europe for further inspiration. He sought to eliminate any remnant of academia and "let
the child come out," he explained. "I discovered that American primitive art appealed to me. It
gave me a warm feeling so I began to experiment with that." Simpkins’ strong, bold and
graphic style is deceptively simple. His paintings please and uplift with a single glance but
then unfold with layers of meaning. The artist explains, "My work evolves slowly and intuitively
from the heart." Almost always, Simpkins includes a "bit of the vinegar of life" along with happy
symbols and motifs such as hearts, checkerboards, cats, gardens, etc. Simpkins painting style
is equally "layered." His use of paint and color is subtly complex and often includes the use of
gold leaf. For years his art was unseen outside of a few, select, private collections, but once
viewed his paintings are not forgotten, so word eventually reached galleries, museums and
publishers. His creations have now been exhibited from America to England and published in
a variety of books and magazines.
artist explains. "I climbed up into the closet and actually used crayons on the ceiling." Thus is
how John Simpkins began to express himself through art Follow-ing formal art studies at Napa
College and with the renowned Earl Thollander, Simpkins later explored the museums of the U.
S. and Europe for further inspiration. He sought to eliminate any remnant of academia and "let
the child come out," he explained. "I discovered that American primitive art appealed to me. It
gave me a warm feeling so I began to experiment with that." Simpkins’ strong, bold and
graphic style is deceptively simple. His paintings please and uplift with a single glance but
then unfold with layers of meaning. The artist explains, "My work evolves slowly and intuitively
from the heart." Almost always, Simpkins includes a "bit of the vinegar of life" along with happy
symbols and motifs such as hearts, checkerboards, cats, gardens, etc. Simpkins painting style
is equally "layered." His use of paint and color is subtly complex and often includes the use of
gold leaf. For years his art was unseen outside of a few, select, private collections, but once
viewed his paintings are not forgotten, so word eventually reached galleries, museums and
publishers. His creations have now been exhibited from America to England and published in
a variety of books and magazines.
John Simpkins
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