The Artist's Lifelong Journey of Self-Expression

   John's journey of self-expression began at the age eight when his father gave him his first set of wood tools, including a small electric jig saw. From that point on he was literally "off to the races" building adventure toys such as "soapbox" racers that plummeted down the steep hills of the San Francisco Bay Area without brakes, and rubber band guns (with triggers that actually worked) for all the neighborhood kids. It was not long before John realized that he would spend a lifetime tempted by the sights and sounds of sailing the open ocean. Yet, at the same time, he was drawn to the splendor and tranquility of the high country.

   When he set foot upon the decks of historic sailing ships at various ports around the United States, or gazed upon photographs of ships such as the H.M.S. Victory, he was "home"... he knew he belonged there.... that he had always been there. He has long felt that he was a sailor, and even a shipwright, in some long ago, previously forgotten lifetime. Yet, again, while sitting at the top of a mountain pass in the Sierra Nevada Mountains with his brother Jim, after being out for weeks, John felt equally at home there too. Opportunities to sail never came about in his young life, so he turned to building ship models. John's first carved ship model was the "Sea Venture" at the age of 12. His first reasonable attempt at a plank-on frame model came a couple of years later after his Uncle Robert taught him the necessary skills of framing and planking at his carpenter shop in Storm Lake, Iowa. Uncle Robert was building an actual 50-foot sailing yacht out of oak and teak in his backyard, and had made his own scale model of that yacht. Throughout his teenage years, John lived in the boat shop he created in his father's garage; departing to only attend school, and to head for prolonged backpack trips with his brother Jim. While in the shop, John yearned for the mountains; while in the mountains, John yearned for the shop. John pursued other forms of art training and practices, but always retuned to model shipbuilding. By the time he was 18, he blended his need for the mountains and his love for water into a passion for whitewater rivers. He spent five years as a professional river guide while attending the College of San Mateo, Oregon State and University and U.C. Berkeley for a B.S. Degree in Forestry; always returning to his shop to build ships during his spare time. John has long admitted that in his college years he "majored" in river running and "minored" in Forestry. It was, in fact, his river experience that got him employed with the federal government as a Professional Recreation Planner. After 30 years of public service, John returned to "private life" in 2006. He retains that life-long inner turmoil to be in both the shop and in the mountains (or on some river) at thre same time. This turmoil has now been intensified with his attention to the ceramic arts and now, most recently, graphic oil painting.

   John shares his passion for ceramics with his wife, Teresa Nebeker, who he met in 2003. She is the pottery "turner" in the family while John most enjoys painting and carving on Teresa's art pieces. John prefers the "flat work" (tile) and figure carving. Teresa spent years enjoying the collecting of antique pottery before she met John. It was necesaary for John to install a very large display area in their home. John encouraged Teresa to create her own pottery rather than just admire the works of others and, thus, the journey of ceramic art creations began for both of them. She now creates her own future antiques with John's assistance.

   John's recent adventures in highly detailed oil painting (which he calls "graphic oils") are perhaps his way of seeking the mountains and rivers within himself. Each painting is the expression or rembrance of a beautiful place he once visited or dreamed about. As such, his work in oils is truly the expression of his soul.

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