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About John Kilroy
graduated from The Art Institute of Boston, where he studied with Norman Baer and Walter Marks. Both these brilliant teachers had a deep historical connection to the Brandywine School and American Illustration, as they were both students of Harvey Dunn, a Howard Pyle student. Early influences on Kilroy were all the great artists involved with the Famous Artists School. He studied figure and landscape painting privately for 10 years with color master Robert Bliss, who was a student of Carolyn Wyeth.
Kilroy is especially influenced by the teaching and art of modern master Richard Schmid, whose brilliant, adaptive, grand manner, alla-prima painting techniques and philosophy Kilroy took to heart. John is a member of Richard Schmid and Nancy Guzik painting group, The Putney Painters.
He was also inspired to become a painter because of a small group of Taos/Denver artists active collectively in the 1970's. Among this group including Ned Jacob, William E. Sharer, Mark Daily, Len Chmiel, and George Carlson that really influenced Kilroy to open up to the idea of contemporary 'Fine Art' impressionistic realism as a personal direction.
Particularly influential is also San Diego artist John Asaro who gave Kilroy the knowledge of seeing light, color and the working understanding of sculptural form. A special thanks go to Washington State artist William F. Reese who, in the mid-eighties, got Kilroy to work outdoors, en plein-aire and taught him the essentials of the small sketch and continues to inspire with his excellence, integrity and generosity of spirit.
