John S. Frazier
John S. Frazier (Johne) was born and raised in Washington DC, where he attended McKinnley High Tech High School. During his teenage years, he experienced seizures that were managed with medication that altered his emotions and thoughts. During his high school years, he discovered his talent for art in a class that also helped him release his pent-up anger. His abilities extended beyond the creative realm, as he excelled in math and took advanced courses like calculus and physics. Johne continued drawing after graduation. He produced many pieces and decided to use Johne as his signature since everyone called him Johnny.
He loved working with different mediums like colored pencils, ink pens, pastel pencils, and watercolor pencils. By layering and blending these materials, he was able to create rich tones and depth in his pieces. Surprisingly, he had no formal training in art beyond high school but could still produce incredibly realistic drawings of objects and people. Johne used poster board and drawing paper in his early years. He explored using other types of boards and eventually settled on foam core. He used both black and white foam core to draw on because he liked the way it allowed him to layer the color and the way the pencil lines created texture within the drawing due to the flexibility of the foam core.
Johne had no interest in selling or displaying his artwork; it was solely for his own enjoyment. In addition to his love for capturing nature with his Polaroid camera, he had a knack for electronics, and would often modify gadgets to suit his specific preferences, like making Christmas lights flash in sync with the rhythm of his music.
Johne loved science fiction, music, and Kung Fu films. He spent 15 years at the Patent and Trademark office in Virginia, residing in Fairfax for the duration of his time there.
He passed away suddenly in June of 2002, leaving behind his conure bird named Jamaica and his artwork. He is truly missed and was a great inspiration to his sister and nephew.
