Born in St. Catharines, Ontario, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Carl Riordon, John Riordan moved with his family to Montreal in 1908. He was educated at Ashbury College, Ottawa, and McGill University, Montreal. After studying charcoal drawing for a year at the Ecole des Beaux Arts, Montreal, he went to Paris in 1932 where he trained at the Grande Chaumière and Academie Julian, then travelled and painted extensively in Europe. His work was shown at the Paris Salon (1933, 1934).

On his return to Montreal he painted in the Laurentians where he had spent many summers of his youth at the Riordon family cottage north of Mont Tremblant at Lac Lache. During the thirties he became known for his paintings ...