John Ward Helliwell was born in Derby in 1959. He passed away on the 31st of December 2024, aged 65.

 

His creative streak came to the fore at an early age and there’s many a cover of The Derbeian, the magazine of Derby School where he went in the 1970s, that bears testimony to his illustrative talents.

 

Likewise, his fellow students at Bretton Hall College, where he studied Art and English, in the 1980s will be all-to familiar with his penmanship and style of art, not only in his degree portfolio where he favoured printing techniques, but also in the many posters he created to promote drama productions and film society showings.

 

John continued his art, alongside drawing cartoons and writing screenplays, throughout his life, but only decided to share his recent Surrealist work more widely through a website in 2024.

 

Sadly, he died before it was completed. But son James has finished the task and John’s family intend to add to it over time.