john horejs

Thirty-seven years ago, I bought my first set of oil paints and took a few painting lessons from Aunt Barbara, my mom's sister. The small town of Twin Falls, Idaho where I was born and raised is not exactly the art capital of the world. My first recollections of viewing paintings were at the art building of the Twin Falls County Fair each fall.

From those humble beginnings in art, I have been blessed to grow and progress, and since 1986 I have supported my wife and family of nine children solely from the sales of my oil paintings through galleries across the U.S.

Nature Series

A few years ago, while collaborating with my daughter on a unique, abstract commission project, I had the inspiration for a whole new direction in my personal art. My traditional paintings are done in oil and are representational/impressionistic in style. A vision started forming of a new style: minimalist. After experimenting for months, “Natures” were born. In my “Natures” series, I use actual cattails and wild grasses in a proprietary technique using acrylic paints and textures. The simple compositions and subtle background colors create a unique look that brings a richness into the space.

Nature 79

Nature 23

Nature 32

Nature XVII

Nature 75

Nature 25

Nature 82

Desert Nature 69

Nature 81

Nature 47

Nature 50

Nature 61 - SOLD

Nature 84

Nature 83

Desert Nature 17

Desert Nature 16

Desert Nature 8

Desert Nature 9

Nature 85

Nature 80

Nature 78

Nature 77

Traditional Paintings

To me, simplicity is elegance. I paint exclusively in oils, using two brushes and seven colors plus white. My representational/impressionistic paintings are done on hand-made custom contemporary box canvases with no frames, which have become a trademark. I work on one painting at a time, as quickly as possible, so that I'm always working wet oil into wet oil paint. Most of my work is done in-studio using my own photographs of landscapes, gardens, clouds, and deserts I have visited as references.

I enjoy creating large artworks, many of which are 40”x50” and larger. My largest single panel painting so far is a 60” x 144” commission of the Boulder Mountains of Central Idaho for Key Bank in Boise, Idaho. My largest multi-panel work to date is a 75”x125” five-panel wildflower garden.

In a world that seems increasingly complex and unsettled, I strive through my paintings to convey grace, elegance, quality and beauty.