Celestial Mindscapes: The Art of John Bozin

Our current gallery exhibition, Celestial Mindscapes: The Art of John Bozin, features one of Monson’s most recognizable local painters. We sat down with John to learn more about what led him to Monson and what has driven him to create for all these years. John has been part of the community here for over 60 years and has been a full-time artist for the past 20. He owns Hebron Gallery, located right in the center of town, across from the general store. He paints the stunning landscapes of Central Maine and Monson in his semi-abstract realism style. 

Above: John and Donna in front of the cabin John built. Below: John with his great uncle and aunt in Willimantic.

John’s artistic journey began in Akron, Ohio, where he discovered his passion for art as a child. But one of the pivotal moments in his childhood was summers spent at his uncle’s camp in Willimantic, Maine. He fondly recalls, “My parents would drive us up to visit him, and I really liked it because he didn’t have running water, just a hand pump in the kitchen. So we used to go swimming every day to take a bath.” Those summer memories made a lasting impression on John and ultimately led him to return to Central Maine as an adult. 

But, before he settled for the quiet life in Piscataquis County, John had a less-than-quiet childhood. John grew up around the 1970s music scene. His cousin, Glen Buxton, was the lead guitarist for the Alice Cooper band. He even dated Chrissy Hynde, the lead singer from the Pretenders, when he was just out of high school. He laughed that they would go see the Alice Cooper Band together, and listen to records in her room, and she would always talk about going to London for the music scene. It was surreal listening to him talk about people who are in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, as if they were just his childhood friends. John spent time with artists and musicians, living a fast-paced life, but art always guided him back to himself. 

John studied art at Kent State University and graduated with a BFA. Afterward, he moved to the East Coast, where he worked in Boston and studied painting at the Massachusetts College of Art, continuing to pursue his passion for painting. Now closer to Maine, the place he loved as a child, John decided to buy property there. In 1975, he found a piece of land on Steward Rd in Monson. It was six acres for $1,500. John remembered, “I had the cash in my pocket, so we went to the lawyer, he charged me $20, and it was a done deal. Things were cheap back then.” 

That summer after he purchased the land, John built himself a log cabin. He got help from a couple of friends and a hiker who came off the Appalachian Trail. He laughed about the amount of food he had to feed the hiker after having been on the trail for so long. John built his cabin from trees he cut down on the property. “I made a homemade rig to put one log on, because it was probably 300 feet to the cabin. I hauled them in one at a time. It took me five months to complete.”  

The true love story of John’s life was his wife, Donna, whom he met while in Boston. She came up to visit John in Monson after a difficult breakup. He has a lovely black-and-white photograph of her sitting on his shelf that her ex-boyfriend took. John joked that he got the beautiful girl and the beautiful photo. Donna was also an artist and held degrees in education and art. For a time, she was the only art teacher across the local school system, before art teaching became a full-time position here in Piscataquis County. That was a lot of work, so she transitioned to teaching English at PCHS in Guilford, where she didn’t have to run from school to school. John and Donna raised their daughter, Belle, here in Monson. They also passed on their love of art and creativity to her. She creates stunning work using resin, wood, stones, and other materials. You can see some of her work at the Gallery Store, right beside John’s exhibition, and at Hebron Gallery. 

John was not a full-time artist until 2015, when he retired. John worked at the Greenville Steam Company in water treatment for 20 years, then spent his last 5 years at Mayo Hospital in maintenance before retiring. After his retirement, John focused on his true passion: painting. 

As mentioned earlier, John had a love for art from a young age. He did a lot of art throughout high school and at the beginning of his creative journey. He did extensive assemblage work, some of which is in the show, before transitioning to primarily painting. You can see the influence that sculpture and assemblage had on his painting style. Some of his work combines both skills. John will paint on almost any material, from old signboard to plywood to canvas. His love of color and the local landscape is evident in every piece. 

John with his daughter, Belle Bozin

John’s artistic process begins with quick plein-air watercolor sketches that capture the essence of the landscapes he loves. He utilizes these sketches as references in his studio, but once the basic composition is established, he paints from memory, prioritizing emotion over strict realism. His canvases are vibrant with color, often suffused with an unmistakable orange glow—a signature element achieved by underpainting with red latex and a mix of burnt sienna and cadmium red light. “When you paint blues, they really vibrate on the red background,” he explains.

The show is titled Celestial Phenomenon because, beyond the beauty surrounding him, John is also fascinated by celestial events. He’s inspired by the idea of something bigger in the universe, something beyond what we understand. We were fortunate to be in the path of totality for the solar eclipse last year, which was a beautiful gift for John and the other artists who call Monson their home.

Last year, John was diagnosed with Parkinson’s. When he got the diagnosis, he had stopped painting for almost two years because he was losing control of his fine motor skills. His doctors were not sure what exactly was happening because it wasn’t presenting in a typical fashion. Once they identified the issue and put him on a treatment plan, he was able to pick up his paintbrush again. His windowsills are lined with small, loosely painted watercolors he has been working on over the past few months. You could see his feeling of joy that he is finally painting again after years of not being able to. 

John, Donna, and Belle Bozin

When asked what inspired John to keep creating throughout his life, he replied, “It’s just something I have to do.” He always made time for art, but it was also something he had to do, especially after retiring. He said that when he is painting, even these small watercolors, it’s like therapy. “There is no noise going on in my head. You know, it’s just kind of concentration. You almost get lost,” he says. Sometimes they take him two days to complete, but he enjoys every moment he can spend creating. 

John’s show will be up in the Monson Arts Gallery through Apri 19, 2026. We hope that all of you who can will stop in to admire John’s work, and a life devoted to the love of art and of Monson, Maine.