john o'neil
My birth place is Brooklyn, New York; but I grew up on Long Island. Throughout High School I elected to take Art as one of my subjects and painted in oil during that time. After graduating from High School, I went on to study at Farmingdale University, New York majoring in Commercial Art. My professor of Illustration and Rendering introduced me to acrylics. I liked the flexibility of painting in acrylics and have continued with that medium.
In my business career I was employed as an Art Director for JC Penney in Manhattan, New York. Further on I opened my own Advertising Agency, and eventually merged the Agency with another Design Firm. I retired as the Executive Vice President of a Public Relations and Marketing firm in New York. While enjoying a successful business career, I always found time to paint. I purposely set-up an easel in my bedroom which reminded me daily and encouraged me to continue with my painting. Primarily, I paint wildlife animals, pets (especially dogs) and landscapes.
To date I have been commissioned to paint over one hundred and fifty pet portraits. Since moving in 2014 to the Retreat at Greenbrier in Chesapeake Virginia, I have painted several dog portraits for neighboring residents. In June 2018, I was privileged to appear in a local magazine featuring a story of my background and paintings.