Born in 1959 in Macclesfield, England, John Silver has been painting since his childhood. After earning a BA with Honors in 1984, he decided to pursue a career in art, beginning as a commercial artist. Silver’s first job was as a photographic retoucher in Manchester, but it did not last long because he was focused on pursuing his own creative interests – painting wildlife. He then spent some time as a professor illustrator and freelance retoucher, picking up the skills of airbrush painting while studying the classical works of the old masters such as Da Vinci, Titian, Rembrandt, Turner, and Constable. Silver would often attempt to reproduce their masterpieces to learn the techniques used first hand; sometimes it would take him up to eight months to complete one painting. The skills and techniques he acquired proved to be invaluable as he painted his own creations.
With these varied skills and techniques in hand, Silver was able to establish himself as an incredibly talented artist. In 1994 he even had the opportunity to spend time with world-renowned wildlife artists John Seerey-Lester and Alan Hunt. Combining his natural talents and years of knowledge and experience with the things he learned from them, Silver has become an internationally collected artist. He is especially known for his paintings of dogs; although these pieces are two-dimensional, he is able to breathe life into them using deep details and inspiring colors. Silver has displayed his artwork all around England and his original paintings fetch a high price. Even his limited edition fine art prints are highly coveted and in 1998 he earned the Fine Art Trade Guild’s “Best New Published Artist” award.