John Hitchens is an English painter born in 1940. His work is influenced by the landscape of the South Downs and his main subject area is the countryside of West Sussex, England. He also spent extended periods working in North Wales and North West Scotland. Hitchens' paintings are primarily concerned with expressing patterns and textures of the landscape. During the past decades his work has evolved into an abstract style using a range of earth colours.
John Hitchens was born in Hove, Sussex, England. Both his father, Ivon Hitchens (1893 – 1979) and his grandfather Alfred Hitchens (1861-1942) were also painters. He attended Bedales School near Petersfield, Hampshire, and studied at the Academy of Art, Corsham. Hitchens started exhibiting in the 1960s with a series of solo exhibitions. His work is represented in several public and private collections in England and overseas. He lives and works near Petworth, West Sussex. His son Simon Hitchens is a sculptor.
The former City Gallery (Leicester); now Leicester City Museum and Art Gallery