Authenticity is essential to Central Texas artist's work

By JULIET BRISKIN | Central Texas Edition

John French sits painting at his easel in one corner of his studio in Ross. French rarely if ever does a show and sells primarily to a dealer who then sells his work to galleries. -Staff photo by Briskin

January 3, 2002 -- Just north of Waco in Ross resides artist John French and his wife Donna. French is an unassuming man with an amazing ability to capture history, wildlife and landscapes with acrylic paint and a blank canvas. Best known for his paintings he also issues bronze sculptures and does wood carving.

French is a native of Waco but spent much of his youth in West Texas and New Mexico. During that time he discovered his love for artistic expression and started working with colored chalk. As he got older he began experimenting with water colors, oils and then acrylics.

According to French talent is not something a person is born with, but rather "a person develops a talent because they want to. If you were born with a talent you could sit down and do a real good painting the first time. Believe me, if I could get my hands on some of my first paintings I'd burn 'em."

French never took a formal art class and learned to paint, sculpt and carve on his own.

The 13th Day, was recently purchased by French's dealer. The painstakingly detailed research that French conducted for this painting allowed him to create a historically accurate depiction of the last day of the battle of the Alamo.

After high school French enlisted in the Air Force and spent three years stationed in Laredo. In 1958 he and his first wife Wanda returned to Waco. During this time French worked as a full-time auto mechanic and a part-time artist.

After losing both of his children, Jeff 14, and Deana 8 to Ataxia-telangiectasia (A-T), a degenerative disease affecting the cerebellum, French chose to paint full-time. Not long after the death of their two children his wife Wanda died. "They said that it was asthma that got her, but I never did think it was," said French. "I think she never got over losing those kids."

When asked about how these experiences affected his paintings French remarked that he did not see much of a change in his work. "Some people say that my paintings during that time had more stormy skies, and were 'darker'," he said. "I don't think I realized I was doing it. I just put stormy skies because it fit the mood at the time."

According to French his painting was a good outlet for him during this period. "I lost a 40-year old wife, an 8-year old daughter and a 14-year old son," he explained. "Had I not been busy 20 hours a day and had the time to just sit around and feel sorry for myself, I probably would have ended up the sorriest drunk you ever saw."

In 1978, French married his current wife Donna and they had a daughter, Jennifer, in 1979. John and Donna now have a grandson, Jace, who will turn three in January.

The majority of the work French currently does is filling orders from his dealer of 27 years, Chuck Haley. Haley, located in Dallas, distributes French's paintings to a number of galleries in San Antonio, Dallas, Salado, Arizona and New Mexico. "He keeps me so pinned down with what he needs for the galleries, I don't really get the chance to do some of the things I want to do," said French.

When a gallery has a request Haley contacts French and lets him know what to paint. While his dealer keeps him extremely busy he does do some private commissions and sells to a few individual collectors. "When I do bronzes I have one customer that takes number two of everything I do," stated French. "I don't like to do a commission unless it is a specific thing that is not likely to be found in a gallery. I don't want to 'compete' with my dealer."

When he begins most projects the first thing he does is research. "With anything historical, there is always someone who will point out the mistakes," French explained. "I try to make sure that whatever I do is at least historically accurate. I would rather have a bad painting that was historically correct, than a good painting and be all wrong."

His attention to detail is almost scientific. In one painting of the battle of the Alamo entitled The Thirteenth Day, his research revealed that it had rained during the three days prior to the battle. As a result he painted puddles of water in the battlefield.

"I like things to be authentic," stated French. "Many times it may take me longer to do the research than to actually do the painting. That doesn't show-up in the bank account, but the painting is like it's supposed to be."

Currently French's work is hanging in such places as the lobby of the International Bank in Tokyo and The Texas Ranger Museum in Waco. "They say I have different pieces hanging in a palace in Saudi Arabia, but I haven't been there to see them!" he said. "The Texas chapter of Mental Health and Mental Retardation commissioned me to do a bluebonnet painting for First Lady Rosalynn Carter and it hung in the White House while the Carter's were there."

According to French the largest collections of his work can be found in Dallas at the Southwest Gallery or in Salado at the Salado Gallery. For more information about where to find one of French's paintings call 254-829-1420.