R. Jean (John) Vallieres Biography

R. Jean Vallieres is a classically trained artist whose oil paintings demonstrate a mastery of the medium by conveying meaning, immediacy and depth. The value of his canvases is their capacity to strike both personal and universal chords, appealing to human emotion, memory, imagination and aesthetic feelings. “I hope my paintings arouse the viewer’s memory consciously and unconsciously as I want new variations of meaning to be discovered each time the painting is seen.”

John Vallieres begun his portrait painting career at age thirteen in the cellar of his parents’ home in Woonsocket, RI, a mill town located along the Blackstone River, he furthered his learning while completing undergraduate, graduate and post graduate studies at New England Colleges and Universities. Upon completing his formal education John studied the accomplishments of the Great Masters first hand at the National Gallery, London, Le Musee de Louver, Paris, and acclaimed museums of Europe and The United States.

When asked to describe his personal approach to painting and his own style he would reply that his approach is an “imaginative-curiosity,” a style balanced between European Neoclassical and the new American Realism.

Mr. Vallieres ‘Historical Americana’ paintings stand without comparison. He displays an previously unattempted technique and color application that is uniquely attributable to him. Beginning in 2002 he began working on a commission with the Library of Congress to paint in oil the extensive collection of Dorothea Lange photographs of the Dust Bowl era.

In 2004 Valliere’s paintings were acquired or commissioned by art patrons from Arizona, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Mexico, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, Virginia, Vermont, and West Virginia and The United Kingdom.

Collections include: Checkers, Esher, England, The DuPont Winterthur Museum, Frick Museum & Historical Center, The Merrick Art Museum, Downpatrick Cathedral, St Paul Cathedral, Trinity Cathedral, The Merrick Museum and Cultural Center and prominent corporate buildings in the United States and United Kingdom. In 2005 copies of his prints appeared in two national art magazines. In 2006 Vallieres’ paintings will be displayed in four solo-exhibits in the United States and one premier exhibit in England.

McBride Gallery is pleased to represent this talented artist.