ABOUT THE ARTISTS

John Eley- A self-taught artist who emigrated from England, coming  to Oregon in 2003. Artistic talents include working with wood, stained glass, glass etching, metal sculpture, oil
 painting, pyrography, detailed carving, Tiffany-style lighting, and leatherwork. He is a member
of the Guild of Rocking Horse Makers and has been hand-carving Victorian style rocking horses for many years. John showed an immediate affinity for the Native American culture when he attended his first powwow and learned to create Native American-style art with the help of some of his new-found friends. Four years ago, John was excited to be taught how to make Native American-style flutes by his friend, Quiet Bear, which subsequently has awakened a deeply  abiding passion for the flute and the Native American culture.

Before John discovered this artistic talent, life was entirely different. In 1962, just three days before he was to become a professional boxer (and ten days before he was to be married), he lost the four fingers of his right hand in a metal press accident. He spent two years recovering from the accident. Having trouble breaking through the emotional blocks that were preventing him from moving what little remained of John's right-hand fingers, his doctor gave him a small box of paints to help him exercise the fingers. That gesture of therapy was the beginning of a lifetime of artistic expression that John previously did not know was in him. He has never looked back, and constantly looks for new ways to learn and to test his artistic talents.