Painting Portfolio
My training never imposed a firm boundary between fine art and commercial illustration, and my career reflects that fluid philosophy. While I create strategic wayfinding maps and digital illustrations for clients through Escape Key Graphics, painting remains the core manual practice that informs my eye for composition, color, and detail. Whether a piece begins as a private exploration or a specific commission, my goal is to create images with a tangible presence that reward closer attention.
Conceptual Focus: The Halftone Series
A significant portion of my current work investigates the technology of vision through my Custom Halftone Series. Halftones are the mechanical dots or lines used to print photographic images in books and newspapers. I appropriate this industrial language, painting these patterns on a large scale to expose the illusion of seamless imagery. This work asks viewers to question their immediate perception, revealing how both technology and human sight construct our visual reality. This conceptual approach is directly informed by my professional expertise in color separation and graphic design, creating a unique bridge between technical knowledge and fine art inquiry.
Techniques and Process
I work primarily with acrylics for their versatility and durability, especially on large scale paintings and murals. My process is physical and adaptive. I often work from light to dark with acrylics to build depth and compensate for transparency. I regularly employ brushes, airbrush, and spray paint not as ends in themselves, but as tools to achieve specific textural effects and visual rhythms.
Surface preparation is a critical part of my methodology. I stretch my own canvases to control the exact proportions of a painting, a necessity when creating precise scale studies for murals. I have painted on a variety of materials, including stretched linen, wood panel, metal, and architectural surfaces like stucco and drywall, adapting my techniques to each unique project.
From Murals to Gallery Walls
My work spans applied and gallery contexts. A practical project, such as hand painting a complex corrugated shipping container where a vinyl wrap would fail, reinforced the irreplaceable value of the painter’s hand in solving unique physical challenges. This led to a renewed focus on mural commissions. Simultaneously, my studio work has evolved from painterly realism to contemporary semi abstract pieces. While rooted in the principles of illustration, these paintings are conceived for the sustained engagement of a gallery, office, or private collection.
Whether you are considering a site specific mural, a commissioned painting, or are interested in an existing piece, I welcome your inquiry. Please explore the dedicated galleries on my site to see the full range of my work.
PAINTINGS:
MURALS:
TESTIMONIALS:
James C. McLane III P.E.
Oil Painting
Testimonial: I purchased one of John Potters great paintings a couple of years ago. This oil on canvas picture is a large, half life-sized image of an Astronaut back in the payload bay of the Space Shuttle performing a repair on the Hubble Space Telescope. I work as an engineer in a Space Suit lab in Houston Texas, and when I saw this work I was blown away by its attention to accuracy. Potters style trends to relatively substantial brush strokes, but somehow the final product seems very, very detailed. The colors he uses are extremely faithful representations of the scene. From a respectful viewing distance, the painting looks photo realistic, but the viewer knows full well its obviously not a photograph, but the results from the labored efforts of a master artist. I cannot express how satisfied I am with this particular image.
James C. McLane III P.E.
Houston Texas
Boca Grove Country Club
Mural Painting, Character Design, Logo Design, Illustration....
Testimonial: We are so in love with our new mascot/logo. The design is unique and truly captured the essence of our Country Club. Potter was wonderful and seemed to read our mind when it came to changes and suggestions. Truly a pleasure to work with.
Boca Grove Country Club
Susan Grantham
Book Cover Design and Illustration, Illustration, Painting
Testimonial: Absolutely every project I have worked with on John has been a success. I have used his talent and services from paintings, to book covers, to technical drawings. Everyone who see's his work comments on the quality and creativity. While still working in editing and publishing, I used him whenever he was available.
Susan Grantham,
Associate Professor at University of Hartford
PORTFOLIOS
- Illustration Portfolio: Start here for custom illustration and book covers. You can also browse illustrated maps and architectural rendering.
- Fine Art: I offer original paintings and drawings, including my Custom Halftone Series. You will also find mural work here.
- Graphic Design & Motion: View my graphic design portfolio. After that, explore motion design and animated illustrations.
- Maps by application: I create illustrated maps for boat shows, resorts, marinas, real estate, transportation, transit and parking, towns and cities, parks, and wayfinding.
- Additional project types: I also produce cover illustration, vehicle and vinyl wraps, proposal renderings, and street art.
- Illustration methods: My techniques include vector, isometric and axonometric, painting, black and white, GeoData maps, overhead maps, and custom halftones.
- Software portfolios: I work primarily in Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, SketchUp Pro, and Adobe InDesign. For motion projects, I use Premiere Pro and After Effects.