Artist Statement

I paint fleeting moments of great beauty.

The light changes.
The colors and shapes change,
and I change—
moved to action,
moved to capture that beauty.

I create art so that people can share the joy and gratitude I experience being present at such moments.

I invite you to have your own experience of beauty so transitory, yet so universal.

Biography

John Burns is a nationally-recognized lettering artist, having created the logotypes for the Ruffles, Sara Lee, and Baby Ruth brands, among others. Painting is the latest embodiment of his creative expression.

In second grade, John was excused from the normal classroom activities to create a broadside for the classroom. Since then, he has always preferred the arts to anything else.

He received his BFA in Graphic Design from Carnegie-Mellon University.

John started painting landscapes when he lived in northern California. There, he was inspired by the glow of the golden hills in the late afternoons.

John, and his wife Caryl, moved to the Big Island of Hawaii in 2007. There, he sought out the Hawaiian subject matter that most stirred his heart. A chance encounter with backlit bromeliads (plants in the pineapple family) opened up to John a whole new world of Hawaiian nature in close-up—dynamic compositions of organic shapes, colors radically changed by sunlight and shadow, great boldness juxtaposed with alluring subtlety.

Now, John and Caryl divide their time between Northern California, and the Kona side of the Big Island, inspired by the beauty of these two extraordinary places.

You can see John’s lettering work at: www.johnburnslettering.com