John Rula

I was born in Toronto 1961 and have been painting on canvas since 1980. I also work in mixed media making assemblages,sculptures, as well as jewellery design and underground comics.

When I began painting I worked mainly in oils and did mostly figurative works that quickly morphed into Cubism and Abstraction of the human form. After studying fine art and sculpture my work took a turn into the more purely abstract.

In the early 1990’s I found myself drawn to creating my own line of original handmade jewellery. I met a veteran jewellery maker who took me under his wing and taught me the basics of gold smithing. I spent the next ten years crafting a large body of one of a kind original designs which sold very well.

Feeling a desire to take my metal work to a new level I started creating assemblages made out of wood combined with my jewellery work to create unique futuristic and primitive looking creations.

After doing the trade shows and gallery scene with my works I decided to move full time back to painting and opened my own gallery, CircleWorks Gallery in Waterloo ON, selling my paintings as well as my jewellery and assemble work. After completing several mixed media works I found myself drawn to painting most of the tim...

I studied Fine Arts and Theatrical Set design as well as sculpture and painting at the University of Waterloo.Ontario,Canada, from 1982 to 1985 (But I am mostly self taught) .
I worked under the instruction of a Goldsmith for 2 years learning the basics of goldsmithing
I went to San Fransisco to study Jewellery making at the " Reverre Academy in 1995.
This knowledge added to my years of metal workings and I used it to create Jewelery and assemblage parts.

Ongoing: Three Sisters Cultural Centre 1370 King St N St. Jacobs ON