Meet Artist John Malley, Spring Obsession Artist

John Malley, painter

O-013  Desert Landscape_  by _ John Malle wc 9x12  $125

O-014 Guardian Of The Moors_ by _ John Malleywc  11x15  $175

O-016  Canyons_ by _ John Malley wc 11x15  $175

Decades of long haul truck driving through the deserts, forests, and mountains of the western United States does something to a person. In John Malley’s case, it made him want to paint.

“Whatever we do, we should try to give hope and understanding to someone else. That’s what I want to do with painting. Just give someone a chance to stop in their busy life and see the natural world. Even for just a minute, I want them to feel the beauty of God’s world and help them feel understood somehow.” - John Malley

John Malley is a husband, father and cookie-pushing grandfather who has spent his entire life in California. He grew up in 1950s Modjeska Canyon, on the western slope of the Santa Ana Mountains. After a childhood spent getting into mischief in the great outdoors, his career as a truck driver showed him the world through the large picture window of his truck's windshield.

Sweeping views of western landscapes became more intimate as the artist continued his outdoor childhood adventures by taking his wife and two daughters fishing, hiking, camping, snorkeling and dirt biking. Whether from the cab of his truck or the trails of his hikes, John Malley began to connect the colors around him to very specific emotions. In 2016 after he retired, his wife, Lynne Malley, suggested he attend painting classes in Lodi, California. Even though it was likely a bid to get him out of the house, it finally let the artist translate the emotions into color and form and try to reach out to others through his work.

The browns and oranges of his desert landscapes translate into comfort and soothing stability for the artist, while the greens and blues of forests and waters show how life keeps going, healing and progressing. The artist loves starting a blank canvas with a sketch and then layering on and amplifying emotion with color. He hopes his paintings help others feel more connected, understood and at peace.