John Dyer (born 1968) is a Cornish-based painter, focussing on colourful landscapes, architecture, gardens and notable events, especially in Cornwall.
Dyer was born in Ruishton, Somerset to artist parents, Ted Dyer and Vivien Hutchings.
The family moved to Cornwall in 1972 to Holywell Bay and John attended Cubert County Primary School from 1973 to 1980 and Newquay Tretherras School 1980 to 1986, at both schools with the artist Joanne Short whom he married in 1997. His first published work aged 12 was landscape photography in Amateur Photography magazine. In his Foundation year at Falmouth College of Arts he was already selling images to publishers like Athena. He returned to lecture at Falmouth College of Arts in 1992. John completed his BA Hons Graphic Design studies at Middlesex Polytechnic in London, winning a bursary from Thames TV as best student of his year to photograph and record the Amazon rainforest, the first of many overseas and outdoors painting trips [1]
John Dyer is the official artist for the Cornish section of the www.darwin200.org.uk working with Newquay Zoo and Falmouth Art Gallery, commemorating the arrival of Charles Darwin at the end of his HMS Beagle in Falmouth on October 2, 1836.
This continues a commission partnership with Falmouth Art Gallery for the Brunel 200 bicentenary in 2006, celebrating the "Gateway to Cornwall" of the Royal Albert Bridge in 1859 carrying the Great Western Railway over the River Tamar which opened up Cornwall to tourism, trade and the famous art colonies of Newlyn and St Ives.
As a painter of celebrations and events, John Dyer also painted the armada of ships celebrating the safe arrival of Ellen MacArthur to Falmouth in 2005 after her non-stop single-handed round the world sailing trip of 27,000 miles. Falmouth harbour and Pendennis Castle feature regularly in his paintings including of the Solar Eclipse on 11 August 1999.
John was also Official Artist for the Funchal 500 Falmouth Tall Ships Regatta in 2008, as well as the Falmouth Tall Ships Race in 1998. John was also commissioned by the architect MJ Long to paint the opening of the National Maritime Museum Cornwall, Falmouth designed by MJ Long.
His range of painting residencies include Trebah Gardens, Glendurgan, Heligan, Trelissick, St. Michael's Mount and Tresco gardens in Cornwall and the isles of Scilly. He has worked extensively at the Eden Project painting the Live8 Africa Calling concert in 2005 and the building and planting of the famous geodesic domes since 2000. He has also painted commissions for leading gardeners Tim Smit of the Eden Project, Alan Titchmarsh and Kim Wilde.
Other residencies or painting trips include Italy, Spain, Brittany, Côte d'Azur, Provence, Loire Valley, Costa Rica for INIBAP, the Philippines for the International Rice Institute and Banrock Station in South Australia as well as work for Save the Children Fund and BBC Children in Need.