Artist's Biography:
John Helms is a native of Memphis,TN. aside from his formal training in art school and at college, much of his art education is a mixture of being self-taught by reading library and mail-order books on art and having worked with noted professional artists. He has had his drawings and paintings in many exhibitions, and has taught oil,watercolor, and drawing classes. His realistic landscape paintings are in private collections throughout the nation. John has had several write-ups in the Commercial Appeal and interviews on local radio and television stations.
He is a Vietnam Era Vet and received his formal education at Mississippi College, University of Memphis,and Memphis College of Arts.He worked for Republic Airlines Fleet Service for 7 years. Once,while cleaning one of the planes,John found $1700 in cash and about 10 credit cards in an old brown leather pouch,and sucessfully tracked down the owner with the help of the attending gate agent.In 1986 Northwest unethically laid him off work,because of his A.S.(Ankylosing Spondylitis),a deginerative form of spinal arthritis. In 1989, John organized the first "Art For Heart's Sake Fine Arts Show and Sale" at Oak Court Mall in conjunction with WEZI FM radio. In the same year the Commercial Appeal honored John in President George Bushes' '1000 Points of Light' campaign for contributing his limited-edition prints and originals to help fund-rasiers of various charities. Since then,he has done many arts and craft shows in the region.
John currently lives in Memphis,TN,where he does free-lance graphic design, is constantly editing and improving his website,and markets his original paintings and prints at galleries and local arts and craft shows.
A verse to live by:
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths."
Proverbs 3:5-7
The Night I Died ( My Near-Death Experience )
A.S. ( Ankylosing Spondylitis ) Websites:
http://my.webmd.com/content/article/1661.50308