John Gillies

John Gillies

Born in Christchurch in 1945 and educated at St. Andrew’s college where John studied figure drawing under sculptor Tom Taylor in 1957. Although on leaving school, John embarked on a medical career, he continued to paint and in 1972 held his first “one man” exhibition at Abernethy’s Gallery, Dunedin. Thereafter, he featured as an invited artist at Fisher’s Gallery in Christchurch, the Ashburton Society of Arts, the Darfield Society of Arts and at Artworks, Auckland.  John held a sell-out exhibition at the Village Antiques Gallery in Christchurch in 1994, and he continues to exhibit at selected galleries in the South Island. John’s portraits hang in the University of Otago’s Medical and Dental Schools, in Halls of Residence and private collections. It continues to be a busy retirement for John, who also sits on judging panels and teaches masterclasses

John and his wife, Jenny, live in Christchurch. They have a family of four adult children with an ever-increasing number of grandchildren.

John’s art awards include:

2005 Section winner, Montana World of Wearable Arts Award.

1998 Creative Excellence Award, N.Z. Wearable Arts Award

1992 Highly recommended, Telecom Art Award

As an invited art tutor and exhibition judge:

2016 – 2020 Palette knife painting masterclasses.

2013 Judge, Ashburton Society of Arts Annual Exhibition

2013 Portrait painting masterclass, Ashburton Society of Arts

2012 Palette knife painting masterclass for professional artists, Brisbane

2009 Judge, Zonta, School Leavers’ Exhibition, Ashburton

John’s art publications include:

2022  Book ( in preparation ): Skippers Canyon, History, Art and Adventure, featuring 35 palette knife paintings, 40 sketches and 10 chapters.

2008 – 2013 Articles on painting technique in:

 The Artist ( UK ) x 1

 The Australian Artist x 3

 The Artist’s Palette x 3

2008  Book: “In My Chair” featuring a collection of 60 portraits of Cantabrians with introduction by the late Jon Gadsby and text by the late David McPhail.