John Stillman was born in 1968, in Carshalton, Surrey. He is an entirely a self-taught painter, who worked as a book illustrator and then a graphic artist for the advertising industry, before becoming a professional artist in 2006. Over the years Stillman has held numerous solo exhibitions as well as group and open exhibitions. He was elected full membership of The Royal Society of Marine Artists in 2017; he is also a member of the Chelsea Arts Society and the British Plein Air Painters.