John F Smout
Since training as a painter at Birmingham, Stourbridge and Liverpool Colleges of Art John Smout has exhibited and taught widely. He says it is difficult to explain his paintings and that he would rather they spoke for themselves. The real and the abstract constantly intermingle in his work, though he does like to emphasise the order and structure in the visual world, whether landscape, architectural painting or life painting. His work often involves letter forms and shapes as an integral part of the whole image, and most paintings follow numerous working drawings.

One man shows include: Gateway Theatre Gallery, Chester; Watergate Gallery, Chester; Coleg Harlech; Stephen Joseph Theatre, Sarborough; Trinity Arts Centre, Tunbridge Wells; Royal Exchange, Manchester; European Folk Studies Centre, Llangollen; Leeds University; Fox Reformed, Stoke Newington; Bristol Guild; Theatr Clwyd; Bersham Heritage Centre; Yale College Gallery; Living Gallery, Stourbridge; Gateway Gallery, Shrewsbury. He has also taken part in many two-man and group shows.