John Paul Schafer
Email: painterjohnpaul@yahoo.com
Phone: 319-363-5719
John Paul Schafer is a professional studio painter and illustrator who lives and works in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
In 1990, after a stint in college, Schafer began teaching himself painting in a studio loft above Main Street in his native Independence, Iowa.
During the early 1990s, Schafer also ran the printshop for a small sign printing company, where he learned the fundamentals of silkscreen printmaking and graphic design.
In 1996, Schafer moved to Cedar Rapids to work as the art director for Alpha International, Inc. Here, he managed a staff of designers, developed merchandise and designed and illustrated the company’s retail packaging.
Until becoming self employed in early 2007, Schafer had been a newsroom artist for The Cedar Rapids Gazette since July, 1999. While at the Gazette, Schafer produced hundreds of hand-rendered ink and watercolor illustrations for many of the newspaper’s feature sections.
In 2007, Schafer was commissioned to produce site-specific works for Heartland Acres, Mercy Medical Center and the University of Iowa. In 2008, Schafer completed work on a 9-by-24-foot, sectional mural in oil on stretched canvas for the new Independence Public Library.
Schafer has exhibited works in galleries in Kansas City, Seattle, Montreal and Kelowna, BC. Museum venues include the Des Moines Art Center and the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art.
For more information visit the artist’s websites at:
www.painterjohnpaul.com and www.indymural09.com
