JOHN ADKINS is a retired registered pharmacist and a fulltime oil painter that lives in Sevierville, TN.  John has been painting off and on for 47 years and has a love for plein air painting and for still life's.  He started drawing and painting in high school at Marion County High in Guin, AL and was self taught.  He has his Bachelor of Pharmacy Degree frm Auburn University in 1976 and has continued to paint since that time.  He has worked in pharmacy for 43 years and finds that both pharmacy and painting can be healing and therapeutic activities.  He has taken lessons from such notable artists as Margaret Hand, Jim Wilcox, Tom Browning, Kevin Macpherson, Kenn Backhaus, Sherry McGraw, Joan Potter, Ned Bittinger, Perry Austin, John Pototschnik, Jeri Carter, and Kim English.  John is thrilled to call these artists friends and also collect their work.  John continues to study and refine his skills.  John finds it extremely educational to teach others to paint.  He feels that you have to know what you are doing and the basics in order to teach and his students help keep him grounded in what he has learned over the years.

  In October of 1999, John along with artist friend Russell Scruggs laid the ground work for what was to become "The Plein Air Artists of Alabama (PAAA)", the first plein air organization in the state.  John served as president of this organization for many years until 2010, when the group became inactive.  A productive and dedicated artist and teacher over the last few years, John has had two one man shows and several exhibits.  John has paintings in private collections across the country.  John truly believes in the continuing power of art to change the world and to open doors.  Art knocks down barriers of culture, race, religion, gender, language, and economic class.  Art speaks a universal language that is understood by all.  Art and the written word are all that will remain of most civilizations.  Artists record for the future all that they experience and feel of the world around them.  The combination of good friends, fellowship and painting together are truly blessings that John is thankful for.  He feels very fortunate to be an artist and believes that art is a gift that God gives us in order for us to share in the beauty and wonder of his creation.