John's Biography
John Furches is best known for his ability to depict the relationships of color and nature in rural landscapes and nostalgic still life's. His choice of the watercolor medium is especially effective in showing the delicate balance of light, color, and texture in each of his paintings. The element of emotion is also an integral tool for John's realistic style, as he feels the artist becomes an imperfect camera without definite feelings about the image he is portraying.
John grew up in Bethania, a small Moravian settlement on the outskirts of Winston-Salem, NC. He went to Mt. Tabor High School there in Winston-Salem. On his Senior year, John was bused to North Forsyth where he met his future wife, Shirley. John and Shirley continued their studies at Western Carolina University. He majored in Biology, and he minored in Art. John and his family including his wife and two children, Brie and Caroline, currently reside in Elkin, North Carolina. Brie, 25 years old, graduated from Elkin High School in 1998 and University of North Carolina at Charlotte in 2002 with a degree in Dance. She has graduated from North Carolina School of the Arts in Winston-Salem, NC with a Masters in Costume Design. Caroline, 21 years old, graduated from Elkin High School in 2002 and will graduate in Spring '06 from the Corcoran College of Art + Design in Washington, DC in Graphic Design.
John's work is represented in numerous private and corporate collections including his working studio and gallery in Elkin. His limited edition prints, etchings, giclees, and posters are marketed by the gallery itself. John hales 52 limited edition prints in print, of which 42 are sold out and now available only in the secondary market. Also John has completed 9 giclees, a new technology of printing by a computer, and over 200 etchings.
John states he has tried many different media but always come back to watercolor. He feels it can be a frustrating medium at times, but it is always challenging. He likes the results he gets (most of the time) with watercolor. There isn't an unnatural sheen or gloss on the surface to fight.
He enjoys to paint the things around him--found objects, antiques, architectural subjects, and landscapes. Anything and everything he sees has a chance of ending up in one of his works. Whenever possible, he likes to work from life because you form a visual and physical bond with the subject. However, it is not always possible or even practical to work on location, especially when dealing with landscapes. In that case, he normally takes photographs, makes sketches, and colors notes. Then goes back to the studio where he can control all the elements. Another reason he prefers the studio is the time period involved.
A lot of his pieces of work are very detailed because he enjoys the challenge of realism. Capturing the different colors and textures can be time consuming. He often has four to six weeks in some of the larger pieces, because of the conditions this could easily become four to six months if done on location. The photos, sketches, and color notes help keep the stimulation of the subject in his mind. If for some reason he has questions, he always goes back to the source. No one can retain all the information nature has to offer.
--Written by Shirley Furches
P.O. BOX 808 / 123 WEST MAIN STREET
ELKIN, NC 28621888.835.5123336.835.5222