As an artist he is constantly drawn to the changing qualities of landscape and coast.
Born in Falkirk, John McClenaghen grew up with deep connections to the Scottish countryside as the grandson of a ploughman and nephew to both a shepherd and a grieve. His early years were partly spent on farms around Stirlingshire and later the East Lothian coast, where the narrow dune fields between land and sea became an enduring theme in his work. John studied at the Glasgow School of Art, later furthering his education at the universities of Huddersfield, Liverpool, and Chester. For many years, he balanced his artistic practice with teaching at various UK art schools, serving as Programme Leader for Fine Art at the Wrexham School of Art until 2020, when he shifted to part-time work to focus more on painting before becoming a full-time artist in 2025.
From Farming Roots to Artistic Expression
John's approach to landscape painting has been profoundly influenced by his family's farming background. As a child, he experienced moving between the contrasting worlds of town life and his relatives' farms, which heightened his perception of both environments. This unique perspective remained with him into adulthood, informing how he interprets the Scottish landscape in his work. Through his education at Glasgow School of Art in the 1980s, John explored various media including monumental drawing, mixed media, assemblage, and film before returning to painting, drawn by its remarkable ability to capture the sensations and dynamism of the natural world.
McClenaghen's Artistic Process and Vision
John is interested in painting's capacity to relate experience by drawing parallels between the action of light and weather upon his subjects and the action of color and mark upon the canvas. He approaches the landscape not as a static scene but as a living, changing entity, using an extensive range of implements and techniques to keep pace with nature's dynamism. Through the rhythm of work, he aims to move beyond mere representation toward reconstructing feeling, believing that he only truly sees a place properly as he draws or paints it. John returns repeatedly to the same locations, working with color from the outset to create constantly changing surfaces that harness the fluidity and unpredictability of paint.
Exhibition History and Recognition
Throughout his career, John has exhibited extensively with galleries across the UK and internationally, including shows in Shanghai, Sofia, and Krakow. His solo exhibitions include "The Listening Hill" at The Bingley Gallery (2018), "Communicating Space" at The Gascoigne Gallery (2004), and "Beneath a Changing Sky" at Maidenbridge Gallery (2003). He has been featured in numerous group exhibitions at prestigious venues such as The Russell Gallery in London, Roger Billcliffe Gallery in Glasgow, and Fi