A marine painter of harbor scenes and ship portraits, John Stobart has devoted his career to depicting the majestic beauty of sailing ships from a previous era, along with plein-air painting.

He was born in 1929 in Leicester, England, and studied at the Derby College of Art and the Royal Academy School in London. He then traveled by passenger-cargo vessel to his father’s home in South Africa, a voyage that sparked his longtime interest in maritime subjects.

Later he moved to Canada, where he earned a living by creating oil paintings of ships for shipping firms along the St. Lawrence River before shifting his focus to historical paintings of sailing scenes. In 1965, Kennedy Galleries of Boston held his first solo exhibition, which brought him to the attention of New England collectors.

In 1988, his Stobart Foundation, funded from the profits of his publishing business for his prints, created fellowships to help art students ease the transition from student to professional fine artist. The foundation also awards scholarships to students who excel in plein-air painting.