John J. Payne (1928-2000)

John J. Payne's paintings are a prime example of the school of poetic realism. With an unusual sensitivity to color, they fully achieve Payne's goal to "portray the beauty and poetry in the simple doings of ordinary people."

The man behind the paintings was born on June 13, 1928 in Detroit, Michigan. His early talent for sketching and drawing may have been inherited from his mother, who as a child had the honor of having one of her watercolors exhibited in the Chicago Art Museum. As a teenager he began a lifelong interest in photography as well Payne's creativity and craftsmanship also led him to make his first radio, camera and enlarger.

It was, however, the army...