The old farmhouses and surrounding rural area of North Garden, Virginia, are obvious influences in the subject matter of John Borden Evans’ paintings. Evans depicts rural landscapes and animals in his thickly painted works, creating texture through build up and scrape away techniques. Evans has exhibited at the Chrysler Museum, the Virginia Museum, and the Arlington Arts Center as well as in galleries in North Carolina, Virginia, Georgia, and Washington, DC.
Three Goats at Night, 2/10/23, acrylic on canvas, 48 x 48.5 inches
House & Lightning Bugs, 2/27/23, acrylic on canvas, 24.5 x 38.5 inches
Cardinal Triptych, 5/31/23, acrylic on canvas, 61 x 20.5 inches
Great Blue Heron, 10/19/23, acrylic on canvas, 60 x 17 inches
Julia's Bird (Three Gold Finches), 5/5/23, acrylic on canvas, 18.5 x 29.9 inches
Screech Owl II, 1/23/23, acrylic on paper, 9.5 x 5 inches
Woody at Night, 10/4/23, acrylic on paper, 14.5 x 20 inches
Woody & Lightning Bugs (Joy & Woe), 7/27/23, acrylic on paper, 8.5 x 5 inches
Sunset and Robins II, 1/10/24, acrylic on paper, 16.5 x 22 inches
Artist Statement
These paintings grow out of the painting process. When I begin, I have no idea what the finished painting will look like. In this show, actual views from around our house in North Garden, Virginia are combined with imaginary scenes. These paintings are like memories that I have uncovered hidden in the many layers of acrylic paint.
Biography
Born in Edinburgh, Scotland to American parents (6-21-56)
Educated at Davidson College (BA, 1979)
Selected Solo Exhibitions
2013 Addison/Ripley Fine Art, Washington, DC
2011 Beverly Street Studio School Staunton, VA
Les Yeux Du Monde, Charlottesville, VA
2010 Christa Faut Gallery, Cornelius, NC
2009 Addison/Ripley Fine Art, Washington, DC (also 2005, 2000, 1996, 1994)
Second Presbyterian Church, Richmond, VA
Les Yeux du Monde, Charlottesville, VA (also 2006, 2006, 2002)
2008 Christa Faut Gallery, Davidson, NC (also 2003, 2001, 1997, 1999, 1994, 1992)
Callen McJunkin Gallery, Charleston, WV (also 2004, 2006)
2002 Les Yeux du Monde, Charlottesville, VA (also 2
2003 The Studio, Middleburg, VA (also 2002)
2002 Les Yeux du Monde, Charlottesville, VA
Piedmont Virginia Community College, Charlottesville, VA (also 1996)
2000 McGuffey Art Center, Charlottesville, VA (also 1998,1993,1992,1991)
Right Brain Art Gallery, Atlanta, GA (also 1999, 1998)
Warm Springs Gallery, Warm Springs, VA
1999 University of Virginia Hospital Gallery, Charlottesville
Walker Art Center, Woodberry Forest, VA (also 1981)
1997 Morris Gallery, Columbia, SC (also 1994)
1996 Wilkes Art Gallery, north Wilkesboro, NC
Mabey Gallery, Richmond, VA
1991 Carolina Union Gallery, Chapel Hill, NC
Shenandoah Valley Art Center, Waynesboro, VA
1990 The Living Gallery, North Cross School, Roanoke, VA
Arlington Arts Center, Arlington, VA
1898 Holden Fone Arts Center, Warren Wilson College, Swannanoa, NC
The Soho Gallery, Nova Soctia, Canada
1988 “Paintings on Paper,” South Street Inn, Charlottesville, VA
1986 DuPont Gallery, Washington and Lee University, Lexington, VA
Margaret Heath Gallery, Charlottesville, VA
1985 University Theater, Charlottesville, VA
1983 Gallery 105, Warren Wilson College, Swannanoa, NC
Davidson college Art Gallery, Davidon, NC
Second Street Gallery, Charlottesville, VA
Selected Group Exhibitions
2011 “The Light of Day” Lee Hansley Gallery, Raleigh, NC
2007 “Rural Route: Approaching the Countryside,” Cabarrus Arts Council, Concord, NC
2006 “The Southern Landscape,” Lee Hansley Gallery, Raleigh, NC
2005 “Equus II,” The Art Center in Orange, Orange, VA
2004 “Within our Borders-The Virginia Landscape,” Hermitage Foundation, Norfolk, VA
2003 “Paper”, Callen McJunkin Gallery, Charleston, WV
2002 “Fields of Vision,” The Cultural Arts Center at Glen Allen, VA
“Paintings from the Piedmont,” (Award Winner 2000, 1997, 1993, 1992, 1991,
1990, 1988) (Also 2000, 1999, 1998, 1996, 1995, 1994, 1989), The Daily
Progress, Charlottesville, VA
2001 “Painting: More than the Eye Can See,” Callen McJunkin Gallery, Charleston, WV
2000 University of Virginia Law Library Annual Art Exhibit, Charlottesville, VA
“Southern Landscapes” Blue Spiral 1, Asheville, NC
“Celebration,” Les Yeux du Monde Star Hill, Charlottesville, VA
“Time is Place: A Survey of Landscape Paintings Curated by Kurt Godwin,”
Salve Regina Gallery, Catholic University, Washington D.C.
1998 “Contemporary Landscape Artists,” Elise Goodheart Fine Art, Sag Harbor, NY
1997 Two person show, Les Yeux du Monde, Charlottesville, NC
Group show, Ralston Fine Art, Johnson City, TN
1996 “Loving the Land: Exploring Southern Regionalism,” Blue Spiral 1, Asheville, NC
1994 Juried Show, 1708 Gallery, Richmond, VA
“Select: A Jurored Regional Exhibition,” (Award Winner) (also 1991) Sawhill Gallery, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA
1991 “Beyond Nature,” Gallery 10 Ltd., Washington, DC
“National Works on Paper,” Marsh Gallery, University of Richmond, Richmond, VA
1990 “Landscape Paintings,” (3 person show) DuPont gallery, Lexington, VA
“Coastal Exchange III,” 1708 East Main, Richmond, VA
1989 Juried Show, Peninsula Fine Arts Center (Award Winner) (also 1987) Newport News
“15th Annual Shelby National Juried Show (also 1988, 1987, 1985), Shelby Art League, Shelby , NC
“Four Charlottesville Artists,” 2nd Street Gallery, Charlottesville, VA
1988 “Painting ’88,” Arlington Arts Center, Arlington, VA
“On the Fence,” (3 person show) The Cardinal Gallery at Maryland Hall, Annapolis, MD
1987 “Paintings Large and Small,” The Athenaeum, Alexandria, VA
Two person show, Walker Art Center, Woodberry Forest, VA
“Southeastern Spectrum,” Henley Paper Company, Juried Show, Winston-Salem, NC
Regional Juried Exhibition, Second Street Gallery, Charlottesville, VA
“Ventures in Creativity,” Ivy Gallery, Ivy, VA
1986 “Current Visions II” (Award Winner) Germanow Gallery, Jewish Community Center, Rochester, NY
1985 Group Show, 305 West Cameron, Chapel Hill, NC
“The Charlotte Connection,” The MacIntosh Gallery, Atlanta, GA
“16th National Annual Fine Arts Competition,” Greensboro Artists League, Greensboro
“Recent American works on Paper 1985,” Second Street Gallery, Charlottesville, VA
Arlington Arts Center, Arlington, VA, Smithsonian Institution S.I.T.E.S. Tour
“Lynchburg Are Juried Art Show,” (Award Winner), Lynchburg, VA
1984 “Abstraction,” main Gallery of the Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art ( SECCA), Winston-Salem, NC
“22 Southeastern Artists from SECCA,” Frank Porter Graham Carolina Union Gallery, Chapel Hill, NC
1983 “20th Annual Painting and Sculpture Juried Competition,” Associated Artists of Winston- Salem, NC
“New Paintings,” Anderson Gallery, Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond, VA
“Irene Leache Memorial Juried Exhibition,” (Award Winner) Chrysler Museum, Norfolk
1981 “Virginia Painting and Sculpture 1981,” Virginia Museum, Richmond, VA
1979 “Exhibition for Undiscovered Artists,” (Award Winner) Jewish Community Center
“Undergraduate Works on Paper Competition,” Florida School of the Arts Palatka, FL
