John would describe himself as a farm boy.  From a young age he found confidence and a sense of peace working with his hands and doing manual labor.  Sensibilities and skills he applies to his craft have foundation in being taught by his father fifty years his senior.  John’s undergraduate education in Archeology, led him to gain a new perspective for the value of materials and how they represent information about mortality.  His fascination of the discarded and refuse telling the story of one's life has been a focus of his work. He probably spends too much time pondering what his work would mean if someone dug it up.  His education in the arts at Utah State University and the University of Iowa pushed him to explore art’s role in his life as a record of his own humanity.