“If you can hold someone’s attention for more than just a few moments, then you’ve achieved something as an artist. They may love it, they may hate it, they may not understand it - but the thrill is to make them stop and stare.” – Johny

Johny’s paintings are born from the life he’s lived. If his work resonates with you, it’s probably because you’ve shared the same experiences - skied the same mountains, sailed the same waters or walked the same London streets. His style is often described as ‘abstract on reality’: expressive, accessible and full of movement, encouraging you to see familiar places in new and original ways.

While a photograph captures a single moment, Johny’s paintings reveal shifting light, changing weather and evolving energy - sometimes a whole day from sunrise to sunset within one image.

A Life Shaped by Adventure, Colour & Curiosity

Johny’s creative path began at King James College in Henley-on-Thames, followed by the Maidenhead Foundation Course and then the London College of Printing. He left after two years, determined not to “become a clone of the tutors,” and instead devoted himself to developing his own artistic identity.

After years drifting between London and the French Alps, he settled in Chamonix, beneath Mont Blanc and the Aiguille du Midi.  For such a place of outstanding beauty Johny was amazed there were no art galleries in town... so with no fear of failure, he decided to open his own first modern art gallery in Chamonix - a shed-like studio in the Grands Montets car park, and eventually Gallery Midnight, a buzzing part of downtown Chamonix. Apres-ski crowds often spilled into the gallery, making it one of the liveliest places in town and the only space showing modern alpine art.

When the gallery closed temporarily, Johny travelled through India and then settled for a year in St Lucia, painting local life and the expat community. “My aim was to find the colours of the Caribbean without painting a coconut tree,” he says - a mission reflected in the bold, sun-soaked palette of that period. A long sailing trip from St Lucia to Anguilla and down to Trinidad rekindled his lifelong love of the ocean.

Every new place brought a new challenge. “Everything has its own secret way it wants to be portrayed,” Johny explains. “Uncover that secret and the subject allows you to paint it in its most favourable way.”

Gallery Midnight, Balham – A South London Creative Hub

After returning to the UK, Johny opened Gallery Midnight in Balham, where he has now spent more than a decade painting and exhibiting original artwork. While people initially questioned his move from Chamonix and the Caribbean to Balham, he quickly proved that inspiration can be found everywhere.

Today his London work includes vivid interpretations of Battersea Power Station, Tooting Bec Lido, Balham Tube Station, Bellevue Road and Ritherdon Road - all painted with the same curiosity, humour and love of light that defines his mountain and marine pieces.

The gallery showcases:

• Original artwork across landscapes, seascapes, abstracts and London cityscapes
• Limited-edition prints (only 100 per piece, each with a certificate of authenticity)
• Collectable, affordable art designed with longevity and character
• A welcoming, open-door environment that’s part gallery, part local meeting place

Johny works in oils, acrylics, watercolour, charcoal and mixed media, constantly experimenting to find new forms of originality. “Deliberate mistakes,” he says, are often the starting point of his most exciting ideas.

The Shackleton Endurance Collection

Johny’s fascination with polar exploration led him to create his most recent acclaimed Shackleton Endurance Collection  - a year-long project inspired by the 2022 discovery of Endurance by marine archaeologist Mensun Bound. Drawing on Frank Hurley’s original expedition photography, firsthand conversations with Bound, and the diaries of Shackleton’s men, Johny blended historical detail with imaginative interpretation to capture the danger, courage and extraordinary resilience of the expedition.

The collection has since been exhibited at the Royal Geographical Society, Dulwich College, and galleries across London, earning recognition for its powerful storytelling and dramatic visual depth.

 A Gallery Open to Everyone

Johny believes art should be enjoyed by all. Whether you’re an avid collector, a casual passer-by or simply curious, you’re invited to step inside, take your time and see what catches your eye. There’s no pressure to buy -just the invitation to look, think and discover.

Always Painting, Always Growing

From the peaks of the Alps to the blue light of the Caribbean, from Shackleton’s Antarctic ice to the everyday brilliance of South London, Johny continues to evolve as an artist. He returns to Chamonix often for fresh inspiration and is always searching for the next subject “that wants to be painted.”

Visit Gallery Midnight in Balham -Johny is usually there, paintbrush in hand, creating something new and ready to welcome you.

Explore the full collection of original oil on canvas paintings and limited edition prints in his online store here.