2020 Horizon of Turtleback Oil on Panel by John Raymond Berry

Autumn 2020 Horizon Image Turtleback View / oil on panel / framed.

I am known for these vistas of open space to draw the eye into the language of sky. I particularly like the autumn coloring of changing light. This style all began with a batik of such, in 1974. Thousands and thousands of brushstrokes and layers of color.

Instagram: johnraymondberry

An Artist Activist in the SanJuan Islands National Monument for 25 years

An overview:

Fine artist, activist, musician participating in the cultural life of the San Juan Islands since 1995. Work with presenting healthy vegetarian fair for the San Juan County fair originally presenting with MorningStar farm workers. This was the first of its kind doing this for several years in the early 90s.

1998 I Designed the preliminary concepts and layout for the Eastsound Village Green with Rick Doty, encouraging the design and building of Bandshell Stage area, in what we were referring to as “parkitecture”, (instead of industrial prefab structures designed for generic park implementation). This was given to county and local people and  officials. All of this conceptual vision was utilized basically verbatim, and the playground nature area has recently completed! This whole area is a treasure and center of cultural life not unlike a rural version of community generated by the  international fountain at Seattle Center. The play areas further development and realization was Spearheaded by Orcas artists Zackarya Leck, Chuck Greening and Mark McKay.

I recently helped plan "The Winning Bid Book for the European Capitals of Culture 2018", in Leeuwarden Holland, with the noted Melliferopolis Bee scientist Christina Stadlbauer, from Brussels. The project was called the” farm of the world", which looked at nature with science and music and craft culture on high art levels and low art levels, recycling and including the burgeoning nature and food culture developing in the east and west.

Most of my work has a major focus on nature and related ideas, as a portal to be enjoyed and experience by people and there is a sub-text of cultural criticism and social realism as well. Art and design at notable establishments in the San Juan Islands include Roses, Catkin Café at the Artworks, and Doe Bay Resort.

 I also have a self-funded art space in  Eastsound which creates impromptu public art experience in the village and presents the occasional musical artist of international and critically regarded work, and often times it’s a local person. We do this at the Oddfellow‘s hall. I have an ongoing collaboration with the green artist sculptor  Zack Leck whose work is featured privately, and publicly, and one part of our collaboration will be featured in media of the Filson company this autumn.

My work is in major corporate collections and represented by AES Chicago, creative minds on orcas Island or my studio and production prototype and  printmaking studio called SOUL, based in Eastsound.