Jon Gibson McGill, better known as J.G. McGill, paints life in the countryside surrounding his studio on the banks of the Greater Neshannock Creek. His greatest source of inspiration as he entered the world of painting was the great Dutch portraitist Rembrandt Van Rijn. Due to his influence, McGill had first hoped to become a portrait artist, but since then he has evolved into more of a landscape painter. Another historical painter for whose work he has great regard is Thomas Eakins, and after him the French impressionists: Monet, Degas, Renoir, Sisley, Cassatt, Manet, Pissaro, Caillebotte, and even Seurat. Like them, McGill enjoys both portraiture and landscape. McGill finds it exciting to see the evolution of a painting from formless areas of color and stray marks into something with shape, color, contrast and, in the end, visual excitement. His driving force is an experimental curiosity. He will often begin a painting thinking, 'I wonder what it would look like if...', then the question evolves into: 'I can't wait to see what this is going to look like.' In answer to the question, 'Which one of your paintings is your favorite?' his answer is usually, 'The one on my easel.'