John Saunders has been a working artist for 27 years. He began with woodcarvings in high school. He won a ribbon on a carving of a pack mule in the New Mexico state fair. This spurred him on to think of making art his life's ambition. He received formal training at the American Academy of Art in Chicago. He began his career as a sculpture working in wood carving and then bronze. Horses have always been one of his favorite subjects. Growing up around horses and caring for them enables him to capture the true spirit of the horse in every medium he chooses - wood, clay, bronze or paper. His first bronze entitled "When Trails Part" depicts a horse pawing at the rock covered grave of his master.
     This multi-media artist chose watercolor and oil to paint in his signature style of horses in the mist, fog or dust. The mystical quality of his pieces are well received by many. He favors watercolor because of its transparent quality and ability to build layers for his fogging technique. He is able to capture movement, dimension and color in each arrangement of horses. Recently he has added cowboys and cowgirls as subjects.
     John paints all of his paintings without the help of assistants or apprentices. He sketches his subjects from memory and photographs he has taken himself. Numbered prints and giclees are produced at print labs from his original paintings.
     His work can be found in a variety of galleries throughout the United States some include the following: Alexandra Stevens Gallery of Santa Fe, The Gowan Arts Gallery in Albuquerque, Tamaya Gallery in Bernallilo, NM, Gifted Hands Gallery in Madrid, N.M., Bill Zaners Art Haus in Boerne, Texas, Gilded Star Gallery in Rochester, Minnesota, Brown Cow in Mall of Americas, Joan Cawley Gallery in Arizona as well as Joan Cawley catalog.   

     John Saunders' art was also used on the set of the Disney movie "Wild Fire."  His work has also appeared in various gift shops and catalogs throughout the United States as well as Japan and Canada. One of his pieces is in the private collection of country singer Johnny Cash.