An artist inspired by the sea, sails and ships was born and lived in the lap of the sea John Christian was born in 1954 and grew up in a pub on the harbour of a busy fishing port so boats and harbour artists were part of everyday life, he went to the local Community College and was selected by the art teacher as a gifted student and attended Art College on Saturdays, with 6 other students from the wider catchment area, for advanced tuition, it was a five-mile bus journey each way.
In spite of leaving school it was a natural step to go to sea on the local trawlers, after 5 years he took his merchant trawler skippers ticket at Warsash Naval College in Southampton and had many further fruitful years of deep-sea fishing as 1st mate.
Eventually, the call of the land drew him and he came ashore, landscaping for a while before re-training as an adult trainer in basic and key skills
He painted his love of the sea to fill the void, to feel the nature within, eventually painting full time both as a harbour artist in the season and in his studio.
