John Thomas Mills

John was born and educated in England, worked on a sugar cane estate in Trinidad for 4 years, then emigrated to Winnipeg in 1967. A retired agricultural research scientist, he has always been passionate about Agriculture, Animals and Art.

"Agriculture and farm animals are particular interests of mine. Growing up in North Wales, I took for granted the many species of farm animals but now most of them are rarely seen anywhere and threatened for survival. Manitoba is an agricultural province and for the past 3 years I have been visiting farms, country fairs, ploughing matches  and other events to become familiar with the scene. My interest in rare breeds of farm animals was rekindled  by seeing them exhibited at fairs and learning about their plight through the activities of Rare Breeds Canada. I decided to help by producing paintings and art cards. I began by painting horses because of their diversity, beauty, dignity and strength but soon also included rare and often spectacular breeds of other livestock. The art cards I send at Christmas time depict rare breeds and recipients often remark on them thus giving me an opportunity to tell their story."

             Shetland Ewe and Ram                  

John is a Member and Secretary of the Manitoba Society of Artists (MSA) and a Member of the Winnipeg Sketch Club and of Rare Breeds Canada. In 2007, he was awarded the Clifford C. Packer Award at the MSA Open Juried Show. In 2008, he had a solo show at the Fleet Galleries in Winnipeg, one of his pieces appeared on the Manitoba Marathon Calendar, and he received a commission from the Manitoba Government to commemorate the 125th Anniversary of the The Royal Winnipeg Rifles. In June 2009 he was awarded the Juror's Prize at the MSA Open Juried Show in Winnipeg for his work "Field Repairs"and in October participated in an oil painting workshop given by Shiela Barnes at the American Academy of Equine Art in Lexington, Kentucky.