About
JOHN A. HAGLER
AN ARTISTS JOURNEY
John Hagler was born on January 26, 1945 in Washington DC. He soon after moved, with his mother, to Navarro County, Texas while his dad, a Navy Diver, stayed in DC. When he was six years old he, his parents, and 2 younger sisters moved to Pasadena TX, a small town near Houston. His dad found work in one of the many refineries along the Houston ship channel.
John went to school, first grade through high school, in Pasadena. He played football and baseball in junior high and high school. His favorite class was a shop class that taught leatherwork; which he enjoyed so much that he continued with it as a hobby. In 1963, after High School, John fulfilled a life long ambition and joined the Marine Corps.
John served in the Marines until 1974, attaining the rank of Staff Sergeant. During this time he served two tours in Vietnam. Nine months into his first tour he was critically wounded and spent eight months in the Naval Hospital, Corpus Christi, Texas. After eighteen months of light duty at the Marine Corps Air Station, El Toro in Orange County, California; John requested and received orders to Vietnamese Language School. Upon completion he went back to Vietnam and served in the Combined Action Program. In late 1970 Staff Sergeant Hagler was transferred to Parris Island, South Carolina where he went to Drill Instructor School and served as a Drill Instructor until his discharge in 1974. While in the Marine Corps he was awarded the Bronze Star Medal with combat V, the Purple Heart Medal, the Navy & Marine Corps Commendation Medal with combat V, among others; also 2 letters of Commendation.
After his discharge John opened a leather shop in Beaufort, South Carolina, which specialized in handmade leather goods. In 1975 he left South Carolina and moved to Laguna Beach, California, where he had lived while stationed at El Toro. Laguna Beach is an artist colony, famous for its beautiful beaches, small town laid back atmosphere, and its art and artists. It took him a very short while to get caught up in everything Laguna, most importantly the art.
John quickly found a job at Love Leather, a boutique leather shop, as the resident leather craftsman.
He designed and made custom leather goods for customers from all over the world. After several years the owners decided to sell the shop leaving him without a job. Fortunately, he had his leatherwork to fall back on. He set up shop in his home and continued doing custom work.
John was influenced by the artist friends he had made: Jewelry makers, weavers, ceramicist, fiber artists, but, most of all the painters. John Hagler wanted to paint.
Within a short time he started taking classes at the Laguna Beach School of Art (now the Laguna College of Art and Design) and Saddleback College. Soon after, he was employed by a prominent local artist, Valerie Bechtol, as a studio assistant, and remained so until she and her husband moved to Santa Fe; but not before they were the first to buy a piece of John’s art.
In the late ‘80’s Bob Higgins, a friend and gallery owner in Laguna asked John to manage one of his galleries, The Indian Room, a Native American Art and Artifacts gallery. He jumped at the chance. The Indian Room was a small gallery filled floor to celling with the old and the new: Navaho weavings, cases of Navaho, Hopi, Zuni, and many other tribes jewelry, Apache baskets, Acoma and other Pueblo Tribes pottery, beadwork, and paintings.
All the while John was still painting and drawing. Improving his skill with oil paint on canvas as well as pencil and charcoal on paper.
In 1990, while working in the gallery, John met his future wife, Karen-Michele Russell. After a whirlwind courtship that lasted 14 years they were married creating a wonderful combined family of 6 children, 11 grand children and 3 great- grand children.
In the mid-90’s John, who had been heavily influenced by the art of the Native Americans, began making handbags out of leather with beadwork, braiding, silver conchos and fringe. He decided to use deer, elk, and buffalo for the body, strap and fringe and to use Apache and plains tribe’s beadwork patterns.
Karen-Michele and John began doing art festivals and shows throughout the Southwest and Colorado. They sold his beaded bags not only to individuals but also to high end Western Wear stores and specialty Boutiques. John received much praise and many awards for his leather and beadwork. Business was good, but he still had an overwhelming desire to be a full time painter.
In 2010, John decided it was time to dedicate his efforts to painting full time, so he went back to school taking design and painting classes in the Saddleback College Adult Education Program. In this program he met, was taught, tutored, and encouraged by the most capable instructor he had ever met, Maria Kiernan, who convinced him that his work was gallery quality.
One day in class John had just finished a painting of Gustav Klimt and his favorite model, Emille Floge when Maria asked him, “Oh, what is this?” Without a thought John replied, “ It’s my homage to Gustav Klimt”. Maria looked at the painting a bit longer then turned back to John and said, “You should do a series of these”. Thus was born the Homage Paintings.
Choosing an artist and images that celebrate that artist is completely subjective. John looks at artists who have made an impact on the culture, vision and style of a society. He tries to use the artist’s most well known images but at times, he will use an image that he particularly likes or that means something to him.
Then he does the research necessary to try to get into the head of the artist to find what influences, them, what are their beliefs, visions, and motivation? It’s an attempt to answer the “Why” questions. He examines books, articles, and the inter-net, to absorb as much information as he can before he begins painting.
In each painting itself, John attempts to duplicate the artists’ image, which is challenging because each artist has their own style. To overcome the challenge, John studies the style and method of each artist who’s work he replicates.
At times a non-artist would ask John what he was working on, he would answer that he was doing an homage painting of a certain famous artist. Most often the questioner would reply “never heard of him (or her)”, John quickly realized that a vast majority of the general public had no idea who a lot of the artists were that had made such a great impact, not only on art, but, on the world in general. Through his paintings he hopes to enlighten people as to who has helped shape the modern world, and give the unknowing a glance as to what these artists have done. Sort of like an Art History lesson on canvas.
John has had two exhibitions of his work: at Saddleback College in Mission Viejo, CA and at Mystic Arts Gallery in Laguna Beach, CA.
John is now painting daily in his home studio in Laguna Woods, CA.