As an independent fine artist, John's art draws from the experiences of a 35 year career. After graduating from Brooklyn's Pratt Institute, he eventually gravitated from the world of Industrial Design to that of advertising and graphic design, which enabled more flexibility and freedom of expression. After leaving the world of commercial art, he now works primarily in black and white, a format that distills life down to a simple and direct honesty – simultaneously stirring the emotions. This directness and realism achieves the same goals of a great black and white photo, but without the mechanical coldness of a photographic copy. The recipient of more than 250 Creativity awards during his career, he now focuses mainly on being able to tell short stories within a single image.