Artist John Sumner Shares Insights with the Riverside Art Alliance

On October 16, 2025, John was invited by the Riverside Art Alliance to deliver a guest presentation. The organization featured him on their website, where they posted the following:

John Sumner, Artist/Author

Our speaker for October is artist John Sumner who hails from Lake Elsinore.  John was born in England and raised in Canada. He studied and worked in hotel and restaurant management before moving onto the business end of artwork:  production, distribution and publishing.  Over time, John expanded his focus internationally and transitioned to art dealing in the Soviet Union (Russia). 

In 2003, he made a dramatic change away from the business of art and started painting on his own. His initial artwork was largely "representational" and has transitioned to being more graphic in style. In addition, he has progressed from solely acrylic work to oils with occasional incorporation of wax. The addition of wax gives the work a sensuous texture and John feels like he's sculpting a picture.  Adding to his repertoire of working in the field of art, John has added sculpting. His first works have been in granite and alabaster which he found in the Anza Borrego Desert. 

Presently, John is writing a memoir of his art experiences called "A Painter's Palette: Confessions of an Art World Insider."

Here is a video clip of excerpts from the presentation:

“Every painting tells a story.” John Sumner speaks at the Riverside Art Alliance about his passion for capturing the world through color and form.