To John Moyers, each piece of art is a new challenge. He explains, "I don't want the subject matter to become a slave to my own predetermined technique, so I loosen up on some and tighten up on others. The style of each painting should complement and not hinder the theme." This has kept Moyers' work fresh in perspective and free from predictability.
Born in Atlanta, Georgia, John's parents later moved their family to Albuquerque, where he spent the greater portion of his childhood. As the son of CA artist William Moyers, John was raised in a household that lived and breathed art. His parents were very supportive of his artistic ambition. "Art was all around me. Dad would go over my work and help me see the areas that needed improvement. I just grew up with art."
John spent a memorable year at the Laguna Beach School of Art. Courses centered on life drawing, and he enrolled in both day and night classes. Next he attended the California Institute for the Arts, with the help of a Walt Disney Studios scholarship. Classes were on animation techniques. "Even though I never went into that field," he explains, "I really grew from the experience. They had such excellent instructors."
CA artist Robert Lougheed invited him to paint wild animals at the Okanagan Game Farm in British Columbia. It was there, in 1979, that Moyers met artist Terri Kelly. They were married in 1982, and a son, Joshua, was born in 1991. For years the Moyers lived in Santa Fe. The history that influenced the area has taken root in John's life and is at the center of his artwork. "I paint a lot of Indians and I like the themes based on Old Mexico and New Mexico cultures...but I also paint cowboys."
On October 19, 1994, Moyers joined the Cowboy Artists of America. "It's something I've wanted for a long time. I consider it a first class organization."
Today the Moyers' reside in Pagosa Springs, Colorado where they make their living as professional artists.
