John was born in 1961 and spent his early years growing up in Chester and Mendham, New Jersey. His classical training began at the Delbarton School in Morristown, New Jersey, and afterward he continued his art education at Paier College of Art in New Haven, Connecticut. As a merit scholar, John studied figure painting with Frank Mason at the Art Students League of New York. He concentrated on his understanding of form while studying drawing with Carroll Jones in Stowe, Vermont and then ventured to Florence for a year where he studied sculpture with Brother Jerome Cox.
John C. Traynor combines the 19th century element of atmosphere with the realistic, yet soft rendering of color and light reminiscent of the Dutch Masters to create his own distinctive style.
John was born in 1961 and spent his early years growing up in Chester and Mendham, New Jersey. His classical training began at the Delbarton School in Morristown, New Jersey, and afterward he continued his art education at Paier College of Art in New Haven, Connecticut. As a merit scholar, John studied figure painting with Frank Mason at the Art Students League of New York. He concentrated on his understanding of form while studying drawing with Carroll Jones in Stowe, Vermont and then ventured to Florence for a year where he studied sculpture with Brother Jerome Cox.
In his still lifes and landscapes John selectively uses color and value to impart a feeling of distance, and a progression of light. Nature is a primary source of inspiration and Mr. Traynor has made many painting expeditions to Ireland, as well as, trips to Holland, Brussels, Italy, and France. He often paints outdoors on location capturing the grassy meadows of Ireland, enchanting European views, and the quaint New England countryside.
John currently resides in southern New Hampshire and enjoys the endless painting opportunities provided by the rural landscape.
Mr. Traynor is the recipient of over two hundred awards of merit for his art, including the Grumbacher Gold and Silver Medals, the Copley Society’s Robb Sagendorph Award and the Hudson Valley Art Association’s Frank Dumond Memorial Award for best light and atmospheric effect in a painting.
His work is enjoyed in over one thousand private and public collections in the United States and abroad, including the Passaic Country College, the Patterson Historical Museum, the Ironbound Education and Cultural Center, Connecticut Bank and Trust, the Sony Music Corporation and McGraw Hill Publishers. John is a member of the Hudson Valley Art Association, The Salmagundi Club of New York, the National Society of Mural Painters.
He has received the artistic distinction of Copley Master from The Copley Society of Boston, the oldest non-profit art association in America. In November 2010, John Traynor was the recipient of the Salmagundi Club’s highest award, The Salmagundi Club Medal of Honor and Merit, for his artistic achievements and contributions to the field of art. This medal is awarded to distinguished citizens in various fields, in the name of the club’s devotion to those endeavors which link one area of culture to another and one human being to another. Previously, John was also honored with other Salmagundi Awards including the N.C. Wyeth Award and the Jane Patterson Award for Excellence.
