John Lawrence
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Born in Kent, Lawrence first made a name for himself in the 1960s when he was commissioned by Wilkinson Sword to produce a set of engravings of ceremonial swords. These images were used to advertise razor blades and appeared as weekly full page adverts in many national newspapers. He later illustrated campaigns for Castrol, Princes salmon and Unilever.
During the 80s and 90s, Lawrence worked for some major advertisers. He produced illustrations for bank notes and personal cheques and a series of seven Christmas advertisements for Harrods. Lawrence was the illustrator of the original Big Ben logo that appears on HP Sauce – an adaptation of which can still be seen on sauce bottles today.
In 1993, Lawrence had a heart attack and decided to make some changes to his life so he could concentrate on his oil paintings. Under the tuition of the artist Eddie Franklin, Lawrence was encouraged to develop his painting style.
Lawrence has a passion for boats and has been drawing them since he was six.
Marine scenes continue to be a big part of Lawrence’s work along with landscapes and townscapes. Lawrence paints mainly from life and invites viewers of his work to share the moment and feel the cold splash of the sea or the warmth of the sun, which he has skilfully captured on canvas.
Lawrence paints full time and his work features in international collections.