Upon receiving a B.F.A. from Washington University Art School in St. Louis, John Atwater worked as a commercial artist.  He then devoted all of his time to maritime painting.  Much of his work is contemporary, representational and is done in watercolor on paper.  The other portion of his work is done in oils and captures the light and atmosphere of the Hudson River and Maine coast.  John Atwater has exhibited widely and won numerous awards.  He is president of the Connecticut Watercolor Society and a member of the American Watercolor Society and the American Society of Marine Artists.