John L. Cleaveland, Jr.

John L. Cleaveland, Jr. (b. 1963) is a contemporary artist who lives and works in Georgia. Known for his breathtakingly realistic oil paintings, Cleaveland offers viewers a timeless glimpse into the settings for Civil War battles, iconic southern scenes, as well as vast pastoral expanses of the United States and Europe. Cleaveland enjoys conveying perspective and qualities of light in remarkable detail – allowing for total immersion in the work. Standing in front of one of his large-scale oil paintings, you may feel as if you could walk right into the landscape before you.

"The muse won't come if the door is not open and the door won't open if you're not working. What motivates me to paint is finding a place that I'm pulled into because of specific light, or the fact that the landscape bears witness to great events or conflicts." – John L. Cleaveland, Jr.