Meet John Horejs

Today we’d like to introduce you to John Horejs.

Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
In 1973, 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. Our family has grown to a total of 37, including 20 grandchildren.

In the early 1990’s we bought a home and studio in Phoenix, and began spending winters in Arizona and summers in Idaho. I fell in love with the desert and the incredible sunsets here, and love capturing the feeling of the cacti and light in my work.

Please tell us about your art.
Since I was a child, I have spent a lot of time in nature–first, exploring the mountains of central Idaho with my parents and four siblings, and later enjoying the breathtaking sunsets, light, and vegetation of the Sonoran Desert of Arizona.

I enjoy creating large-scale artworks, many of which are 40”x50” up to 84″ x 84.” My intention is to bring the wonders of the landscapes I see into the lives and homes of my collectors so that they feel inspiration and peace through my art.

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.

My art education has been self-directed through the years as I painted and studied with professional artists whose work and careers I admired.

As an artist, how do you define success and what quality or characteristic do you feel is essential to success as an artist?
I’ve been incredibly blessed that people have enjoyed and collected my art since I began painting in 1973. In 1979, my wife and I opened our own gallery in Southern Idaho, which gave me tremendous experience and insight into the business side of art. From there, I approached galleries in other areas of the country, and have established long term relationships with those galleries. I’ve also been blessed that what I love to paint has appealed to art buyers around the world. Many artists, in an attempt to be different or edgy, create works that are more difficult to find a market for.

Probably the things that have contributed most to my success over the years is:
1. Having the attitude of being of service, first to the galleries that represent me and ultimately to the collector.

2. Consistently working in the studio to create new and more beautiful art for the galleries and collectors. I create an average of 50-80 paintings every year.

3. Keeping the dream and vision of my professional art career top of mind over the years, despite the inevitable ups and downs of business.

4. Paying attention, the business side of my art career, including keeping expenses under control, being debt-free, and managing cash flow.

How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
My art is constantly displayed and available in Scottsdale at Xanadu Gallery, 7039 E. Main Street, in the heart of the Old Town Arts District. I also show in galleries in Portland, Oregon; Sun Valley and Boise, Idaho; Minneapolis and Edina, Minnesota; and Richmond, Virginia.

Over the years, my art has been acquired by numerous corporations throughout the country, including Wells Fargo Bank, Key Bank, Bonneville Power, University of Portland Hospital, University of Montana Museum of Fine Art, Zion’s Bank, Idaho State University, Boise Cascade Corporation, Morrison Knudsen and McDonald’s Corporation. Locally, you can view my art as part of the permanent collections of Mayo Clinic as well as Honor Health/ Scottsdale Health Care at the Osborn & Thompson Peak campuses,

Art lovers may view my art on my personal website at www.johnhorejs.com, as well as at the Xanadu Gallery site at http://xanadugallery.com/2013/Artists/ArtistPage.php?ArtistID=20.

Contact Info:

• Address: My studio is in Litchfield Park, Arizona and is open to the public by appointment.
• Website: www.johnhorejs.com; http://xanadugallery.com/2013/Artists/ArtistPage.php?ArtistID=20
• Phone: 480-619-1565 & 602-561-0586
• Email: [email protected]
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/john.horejs

Image Credit:
John in front of his Grand Canyon painting was taken by Kirstynn Evans

Getting in touch: VoyagePhoenix is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.