John Bellinger is a landscape painter, painting exclusively in oils. John has always been an artist at heart, even as a young boy copying heroes from the comic strips. He was an art major while in high school, but also liked the biological sciences. After three years in the Army, John returned home to Southern California and entered college, majoring in fish and wildlife sciences. Following graduate school, John began a long career with the government, ending up as a senior scientist and environmental policy advisor with the Federal Government in Washington, D. C. John's interest in painting ignited again and he began private studies in oil painting under Barbara Gough Nuss, a well-known and respected artist from Maryland, under whom he got a solid background in painting techniques. He became particularly interested in painting landscapes on location and took a number of plein air painting workshops from nationally recognized artists. His plein air landscapes and studio works done from field sketches began to sell well and his work was juried into several large national shows in New York City. His paintings are in a number of private collections.

    John paints with a very limited palette--the three primaries plus viridian green and white--so his paintings have a consistency and harmony that is often lacking when too many colors are used. He looks for and stresses strong compositions. Being a native Californian, John loves painting the desert and ocean, but also finds the bucolic countryside of Maryland and Virginia to be very compelling.

    John was born in Orange, California, raised in Corona del Mar, California and now resides in Silver Spring, Maryland with wife Nancy McKean.

EDUCATION

BSc Humboldt State University, Ca.
MSc Louisiana State University, La.

ART EDUCATION

Studied under Barbara Gough Nuss, Nuss Fine Arts, Maryland (1993-1996)

INTENSIVE WORKSHOPS (Oil Painting; on-location landscape):

Morgan Samuel Price - May 1996, New Mexico
Kevin Macpherson - September 1997, New York & September 1998, Virginia
Barbara Gough Nuss - August 1998, Pennsylvania
Matt Smith - May 1999, Texas
Albert Handell - August 1999, Maryland
Ralph Oberg - December 1999, Arizona
Ray Roberts - February 2000, Arizona
Wm. Scott Jennings - May 2000, Arizona

JURIED MEMBERSHIPS

Washington Society of Landscape Painters, Washington, D. C.
Oil Painters of America
Laguna Plein Air Painters Assn.
National Academy of Professional Plein Air Painters

ART ASSOCIATION MEMBERSHIPS

Montgomery County Art Association, Maryland
(President, 2000-2001)