John Michael Groves was born in Lewisham (UK) on 9th March 1937. Camberwell School of Arts and Crafts 1951-7; commercial artist and illustrator for sixteen years; began painting marine subjects 1970, full time since 1977. He was made a Member of the Royal Society of Marine Artists in 1977. His major commissions include five large historical oil paintings for Shell in the 1980's. He works mainly to commissions, in oil, pastel, pen and ink.The charming of the sea and the epics of the men who made its history is all in John Groves' marine paintings. Though he modestly claims he's "only" a fine marine illustrator, I believe his skill and taste for colors and composition makes him a "real" fine artist. John is able to bring back to us cyber people the ancient athmosphere which could be found in vessels. His recontructions of famous battles like Trafalgar are precise to the slightest detail and this really involves a deep preparation study. Each of John Groves paintings is a journey back in the past towards the eternal fascination of the Sea.