b.1949 –

As the founding member and bass guitarist of rock group Dire Straits, John Illsley first started painting when he was just 15 years old. Also showing promise as a guitarist, when the time came to choose where he wanted his talents to take him, Illsley opted for music.

When Dire Straits disbanded in the mid 90s, John found he was able to spend more of his days in his art studio exploring this other passion. Influenced by the French countryside and his love of music, today, Illsley’s works have been exhibited in a number of highly successful international solo exhibitions.