Born in California in 1930, as a young boy John Powell spent weekends in the studio and painting with his father, a prominent California artist. One of his father’s closest friends artist Will Foster, also a well known artist who frequented the Powell studio, provided young John with loads of effective coaching. John’s painting is also influenced by 2 years spent in Japan studying Far Eastern arts, as well as the study of art at the University of Mexico, Mexico City. Upon his return to the United States, John settled in Los Angeles and continued painting, but found a career in antiques where John was a well respected antiques dealer for over a decade. His paintings are precise and intricate, laced with lyrical realism and expressing his love for color, flowers, gardens, pottery and art from around the world, interesting fabrics and visions of his travels.

John’s extensive world travels, and years as an antique dealer in search of the beautiful and unusual, have certainly influenced his painting. Many of his collected antiques, vases, fabrics, as well as the flowers from his own garden have become subjects in his incredibly complex and colorful paintings.

John Powell was recently honored, one of many such recognition’s throughout his painting career, by the World Federation of the Unity Nations (WFUNA) for it’s 50th Anniversary artist of the year. His work is included in the prestigious WFUNA Art and Philatelic Programme, which includes works of art by Chagall, Miro, Rockwell and several other important figures of Art history. He is also in many notable private collections.