John Thompson was born in 1954 in Yorkshire. Much of John's childhood was spent abroad in Africa, Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore, and some of his school days were spent in County Kildare, Ireland, where he developed his love of landscape.
John completed a BA (1st) in Illustration at Manchester University, followed by an MA at the Central School of Art and Design, London. After this, he worked full time as a commercial artist for five years, illustrating wildlife books for the Natural History Museum, and the poster for the film, Tarka the Otter, among other commissions. He then spent two years teaching Fine Art at Yarmouk University in Jordan, before returning to live in Horsham in 1985. He has a home in Co. Fermanagh and a studio in Sussex.
John has exhibited widely at home and abroad including with the Royal Institute of Oil Painters, and the Society of Wildlife Artists at the prestigious Mall Galleries near Buckingham Palace.
Over the past eight years John has enjoyed being artist in residence at Nymans Garden, Borde Hill Garden and Wakehurst Place.His work is held in private collections in U.S.A., Australia, India, New Zealand and Europe, and in public collections in the U.K.