An artist, television show host and widely recognized online celebrity, California-based American painter John Kilduff is known for his distinctive style, which can be described as a merge of Impressionism and Pop art. His paintings offer a lighthearted and relatable look at contemporary life, and feature everything from beach hats and sneakers to soup cans and beer bottles.
In 1987, Kilduff earned his BFA from the Otis College of Art and Design in Los Angeles. He also studied comedy at The Groundlings Theatre & School and the Los Angeles City College, in addition to getting his MFA from UCLA in 2008.
Kilduff came into the spotlight in 2001 when he began hosting a cable-access television show called Let's Paint TV, calling himself "Mr. Let's Paint." The show's live episodes typically involve Kilduff painting while he performs other activities, like playing ping pong, running on a treadmill or cooking. In 2006, he began uploading clips of the show to YouTube, which garnered worldwide attention. The series is now broadcast online.
Kilduff has made numerous other television appearances over the years, including the Tyra Banks Show, where he painted Banks’s portrait live. In 2006, he painted David Hasselhoff on the red carpet of the VH1 Big Awards and also appeared on season two of America's Got Talent.
Ever the entertainer, Kilduff frequently holds in-person painting shows. In 2016, a show called "Bakery" at the Daniel Rolnik Gallery in Santa Monica was designed to mimic the look of a small pastry shop and, as Kilduff created paintings of a range of sweet treats for the event, it earned comparisons to the works of sculptor Claes Oldenburg and Wayne Thiebaud.
Kilduff lives and works in Los Angeles.
On 1stDibs, find original John Kilduff oil paintings, watercolor works and more.
Yellow still life, Painting, Oil on Canvas
By John Kilduff
Located in Yardley, PA
Still life of yellow objects that I found around the house. :: Painting :: Impressionist :: This piece comes with an official certificate of authenticit...
Oil
Ox-Bow Sunset, Painting, Watercolor on Watercolor Paper
By John Kilduff
Located in Yardley, PA
Plein air watercolor of the sun setting from Ox-bow in Saugatuck, Michigan. :: Painting :: Impressionist :: This piece comes with an official certificate of authenticity signed by th...
Watercolor
Beverly Hillbillies, Painting, Oil on Canvas
By John Kilduff
Located in Yardley, PA
This painting is of a street scene in Beverly Hills, California. Spray Paint, Acrylic and Oil on Canvas. :: Painting :: Pop-Art :: This piece comes with an official certificate of au...
Oil
Malibu Rocks #2, Painting, Watercolor on Watercolor Paper
By John Kilduff
Located in Yardley, PA
Plein air watercolor of the Sea at Leo Carrillo State Beach in Malibu, California. :: Painting :: Impressionist :: This piece comes with an official certificate of authenticity signe...
Watercolor
Zuma Beach Malibu, Painting, Oil on Canvas
By John Kilduff
Located in Yardley, PA
Plein air oil painting of Zuma Beach in Malibu, California. :: Painting :: Impressionist :: This piece comes with an official certificate of authenticity signed by the artist :: Read...
Oil
Mount Diablo, Painting, Oil on Canvas
By John Kilduff
Located in Yardley, PA
This large painting was painted in plein air (painted on location) in Oakland,California. The view is of Mount Diablo, which is the largest mountain in th...
Oil
Downtown Los Angeles, Painting, Oil on Canvas
By John Kilduff
Located in Yardley, PA
Painted this while running on a treadmill and playing music during my internet streaming show Let's Paint TV. Painting was also painted upside-down. You can watch the video on Youtub...
Oil
Chips at the beach, Painting, Oil on Canvas
By John Kilduff
Located in Yardley, PA
Painted this bag of chips while running on the treadmill playing music during my internet streaming show Let's Paint TV. You can watch the show here: /watch?v=FD9aV2yRgWw :: Painti...
Oil
Van Nuys Blvd, Painting, Acrylic on Wood Panel
By John Kilduff
Located in Yardley, PA
Large acrylic painting of driving down Van Nuys Blvd in Los Angeles. I rearview mirror was attached to the wood frame. :: Painting :: Street Art :: This piece comes with an official ...
Acrylic
BBQ Grill, Painting, Oil on Canvas
By John Kilduff
Located in Yardley, PA
Plein air oil painting of a BBQ grill at night. :: Painting :: Impressionist :: This piece comes with an official certificate of authenticity signed by the a...
Oil
End of police pursuit, Painting, Oil on Canvas
By John Kilduff
Located in Yardley, PA
Large oil painting of a image I captured from the television of a police chase. :: Painting :: Pop-Art :: This piece comes with an official certificate of authenticity signed by the ...
Oil
Sepulveda Pass, Painting, Oil on Canvas
By John Kilduff
Located in Yardley, PA
Plein air oil painting of the Sepulveda Pass in Los Angeles, California. :: Painting :: Impressionist :: This piece comes with an official certificate of authenticity signed by the a...
Oil
5th and Broadway, Painting, Oil on Canvas
By John Kilduff
Located in Yardley, PA
Plein air oil painting of 5th and Broadway in Downtown Los Angeles. The painting is full of large bold colorful brushstrokes. :: Painting :: Impressionist :: This piece comes with a...
Oil
Matador Beach, Painting, Oil on Canvas
By John Kilduff
Located in Yardley, PA
Plein air oil painting of Matador Beach in Malibu, California. :: Painting :: Impressionist :: This piece comes with an official certificate of authenti...
Oil
Under the olive tree, Painting, Oil on Canvas
By John Kilduff
Located in Yardley, PA
I was taking photos of this hawk flying overhead and when I went to look at the photos, I saw this lovely image and thought I should paint it. Spray paint with acrylic and oil paints...
Oil
Under curfew in Puerto rico #3, Painting, Watercolor on Watercolor Paper
By John Kilduff
Located in Yardley, PA
Plein air watercolor painted while under curfew in Caguas, Puerto Rico in March 2020. :: Painting :: Impressionist :: This piece comes with an official certificate of authenticity si...
Watercolor
Lemon Tree in quarentine, Painting, Oil on Canvas
By John Kilduff
Located in Yardley, PA
Plein air oil painting of the lemon tree in the backyard. :: Painting :: Fine Art :: This piece comes with an official certificate of authenticity signed by the artist :: Ready to H...
Oil
Fig tree in quarantine, Painting, Oil on Canvas
By John Kilduff
Located in Yardley, PA
Plein air oil painting (with some spray paint) of the Fig tree in the backyard during quarantine. :: Painting :: Impressionist :: This piece comes with an off...
Oil
Downtown Los Angeles Rooftop View, Painting, Oil on Canvas
By John Kilduff
Located in Yardley, PA
Plein air oil painting from a rooftop overlooking Downtown Los Angeles. :: Painting :: Impressionist :: This piece comes with an official certific...
Oil
5th and Broadway, Painting, Oil on Canvas
By John Kilduff
Located in Yardley, PA
Plein air (painted on location) painting of 5th and Broadway in Downtown Los Angeles. This painting won the grand prize at the Los Angeles Plein Air Festival 2018. :: Painting :: Im...
Oil
Venice Beach Hats, Painting, Oil on Canvas
By John Kilduff
Located in Yardley, PA
From memory of a Venice Beach boardwalk vendor selling hats. Acrylic and Spray paint used along with oil paints. :: Painting :: Contemporary :: This piece comes with an official cert...
Oil
Figs, Painting, Oil on Canvas
By John Kilduff
Located in Yardley, PA
Still life of figs from the backyard fig tree. :: Painting :: Impressionist :: This piece comes with an official certificate of authenticity signed by the artist :: Ready to Hang: No...
Oil
Indian Alley, Painting, Oil on Canvas
By John Kilduff
Located in Yardley, PA
Plein are painting of Indian alley in Downtown Los Angeles. :: Painting :: Impressionist :: This piece comes with an official certificate of authe...
Oil
8th and Broadway, Painting, Oil on Canvas
By John Kilduff
Located in Yardley, PA
Painted on location (plein air) on the corner of 8th and Broadway in Downtown Los Angeles. :: Painting :: Impressionist :: This piece co...
Oil
Beverly Drive, Beverly Hills, Painting, Oil on Canvas
By John Kilduff
Located in Yardley, PA
Painted in my studio based off of a plein air oil painting I did of this location ( Beverly Drive, Beverly Hills, California). Spray paint, Acrylic and Oils on Canvas. :: Painting ::...
Oil
99 bottles of beer on the wall, Painting, Oil on Canvas
By John Kilduff
Located in Yardley, PA
99 bottles of beer on the wall, 99 bottles of beer... you take one down, pass it around.... 98 bottles of beer on the wall.... 98 bottles of beer on the wall, etc, etc, etc. :: Pai...
Oil
3rd and Traction, Painting, Oil on Canvas
By John Kilduff
Located in Yardley, PA
This painting was painted on location (plein air) from a building in the Los Angeles Arts District, overlooking 3rd and Traction Streets. :: Painting :: Impressionist :: This piece ...
Oil
Hollyhok Plein Air #1, Painting, Oil on Canvas
By John Kilduff
Located in Yardley, PA
Plein air painting of a hollyhock flower in my backyard. I did another painting of the same hollyhock (Hollyhock #2) at the same time and made a video of the process. Here's the vide...
Oil
NYC Subway #3, Painting, Oil on Canvas
By John Kilduff
Located in Yardley, PA
I did a number of sketches while riding the subways in New York this summer (2016). This painting is based on one of these sketches. :: Painting :: Impressionist :: This piece come...
Oil
Goya's Nude Maja on a can of beans, Painting, Oil on Canvas
By John Kilduff
Located in Yardley, PA
Painting of a famous Goya painting on a can of Goya beans. Oil and spray paint on can. :: Painting :: Pop-Art :: This piece comes with an official certificate of authenticity signe...
Oil
6th and Broadway, Painting, Oil on Canvas
By John Kilduff
Located in Yardley, PA
I painted this during the Los Angeles Plein Air Festival 2016. I won 1st place in Oils. Painted on location ( Plein air) on the corner of 6th and Broadway in Downtown Los Angeles. ...
Oil
On Broadway, Painting, Oil on Canvas
By John Kilduff
Located in Yardley, PA
This painting was painted on location (plein air) on Broadway Street in Downtown los Angeles. :: Painting :: Impressionist :: This piece...
Oil
Hollyhocks on blue, Painting, Oil on Canvas
By John Kilduff
Located in Yardley, PA
Spray paint, acrylic and oil on canvas. Painted in my backyard. :: Painting :: Pop-Art :: This piece comes with an official certificate of authenticity signed by the artist :: Ready ...
Oil
Rush hour on the westside, Painting, Oil on Canvas
By John Kilduff
Located in Yardley, PA
Rush hour on the westside of Los Angeles. :: Painting :: Impressionist :: This piece comes with an official certificate of authenticity signed by the artist :: Ready to Hang: Yes :: ...
Oil
Fall landscape, Painting, Oil on Canvas
By John Kilduff
Located in Yardley, PA
I painted this during my Reddit show I do online where I run on a treadmill and paint. This painting started off as an abstraction but I than saw the mountains and clouds in the abst...
Oil
Miracle Whip, Painting, Watercolor on Watercolor Paper
By John Kilduff
Located in Yardley, PA
Still life of a jar of Miracle Whip. Watercolor on Arches cold pressed 140 lb watercolor paper. :: Painting :: Pop-Art :: This piece comes with an official certificate of authenticit...
Watercolor
Still life of a jar of pickles #3, Painting, Oil on Canvas
By John Kilduff
Located in Yardley, PA
I painted this jar of pickles live during my livestreaming show Let's Paint TV :: Painting :: Impressionist :: This piece comes with an official certificate of authenticity signed by...
Oil
Lester the cat with the Hollyhocks, Painting, Oil on Canvas
By John Kilduff
Located in Yardley, PA
This is a painting of Lester the cat. He is a feral cat that likes to hang out in the backyard. :: Painting :: Impressionist :: This piece comes with...
Oil
Self Portrait Wearing Blue Shirt, Blue Gloves, and Drinking a Blue Bud
By John Kilduff
Located in Santa Monica, CA
Oil on canvas
Canvas, Oil
Crazy LA Helicopter Car Chase, Painting, Oil on Canvas
By John Kilduff
Located in Yardley, PA
Painting of a car chase in Los Angeles with a little MC Esher influence. Oil, spray paint and acrylic on canvas. :: Painting :: Contemporary :: This piece com...
Oil
Rush Hour, Painting, Oil on Canvas
By John Kilduff
Located in Yardley, PA
Painted on location (plein air) in downtown Los Angeles. :: Painting :: Impressionist :: This piece comes with an official certificate of authenticity signed by the artist :: Ready t...
Oil
Whole Black olives, Painting, Watercolor on Watercolor Paper
By John Kilduff
Located in Yardley, PA
Still life of a can of whole black olives. Painted on a full sheet ( 30" x 22 1/4") Arches 140 cold press watercolor paper. Please note: there are a few splashes of watercolor above ...
Watercolor
5th and Grand, Painting, Oil on Canvas
By John Kilduff
Located in Yardley, PA
This painting was painted on location (plein air) in Downtown Los Angeles on the corner of 5th and Grand. It is full of rich, thick, bold, colorful brushstrokes. :: Painting :: Conte...
Oil
Goya's Colossus on a can of beans, Painting, Oil on Canvas
By John Kilduff
Located in Yardley, PA
Painting of a famous Goya painting on a can of Goya beans. Oil and spray paint on can. :: Painting :: Pop-Art :: This piece comes with an official certificate of authenticity signe...
Oil
Engine No.3025, Painting, Oil on Canvas
By John Kilduff
Located in Yardley, PA
This painting was painted on location (plein air) at Travel Town in Griffith Park,Los Angeles, California. :: Painting :: Impressionist :: This piece com...
Oil
Bacardi Bottle, Painting, Watercolor on Watercolor Paper
By John Kilduff
Located in Yardley, PA
Still life of a bottle of Bacardi. Watercolor on Arches cold pressed 140 lb watercolor paper. :: Painting :: Pop-Art :: This piece comes with an official certificate of authenticity ...
Watercolor
Escalator No.2, Painting, Oil on Canvas
By John Kilduff
Located in Yardley, PA
I did this painting while running on a treadmill in my studio. I have found it resembles what it's like to paint on location (plein air). The image is of a person taking their bicycl...
Oil
Mulholland Drive #2, Painting, Oil on Canvas
By John Kilduff
Located in Yardley, PA
This painting was painted entirely on location (en plein air) on Mulholland Drive in Malibu, California. The painting is full of bold brushstrokes! Si...
Oil
Spring Street, Painting, Oil on Canvas
By John Kilduff
Located in Yardley, PA
This painting was painted on location (plein air) on Spring Street in Downtown Los Angeles. THe building is just south of 7th Street on Spring St. :: Painting :: Impressionist :: T...
Oil
Broadway & Leavenworth San Francisco, Painting, Oil on Canvas
By John Kilduff
Located in Yardley, PA
Plein air painting (painted on location) of the corner of Broadway and Leavenworth in San Francisco, California. :: Painting :: Impressionist :: This piece comes with an official ce...
Oil
San Fransisco Cable Car, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas
By John Kilduff
Located in Yardley, PA
Painted this in the studio, based on a photo I took of a Cable Car in San Francisco. This is part of a new series of paintings where I spray paint the outline and than use watered-do...
Acrylic
China Cabinett
By John Kilduff
Located in Santa Monica, CA
Oil on canvas.
Oil
Cactus Garden, Painting, Watercolor on Paper
By John Kilduff
Located in Yardley, PA
Large Plein air watercolor of the cactus plants in the backyard. :: Painting :: Impressionist :: This piece comes with an official certificate of authenticity signed by the artist ::...
Watercolor
Gas Station in the middle of California, Painting, Oil on Canvas
By John Kilduff
Located in Yardley, PA
Large oil painting of the inside of a gas station in the middle of California on Interstate 5. :: Painting :: Fine Art :: This piece comes with an official certificate of authentici...
Oil
Chips, Painting, Oil on Canvas
By John Kilduff
Located in Yardley, PA
Oil painting of the chips isle at Jons Supermarket here in Van Nuys, California. :: Painting :: Americana :: This piece comes with an official certificate of authenticity signed by t...
Oil
Driving in LA, Painting, Oil on Canvas
By John Kilduff
Located in Yardley, PA
Oil, acrylic and spray paint on canvas. The painting I started in 2019 but recently reworked it. :: Painting :: Contemporary :: This piece comes with an official certificate of authe...
Oil
USA Gasoline, Painting, Oil on Canvas
By John Kilduff
Located in Yardley, PA
Oil painting of the USA gas station in Van Nuys, California. :: Painting :: Impressionist :: This piece comes with an official certificate of authenticity signed by the artist :: Rea...
Oil
30 planes landing into Burbank 4-11-22, Painting, Oil on Wood Panel
By John Kilduff
Located in Yardley, PA
On April 11, 2022, I painted the airplanes landing into Burbank airport from my backyard. I live streamed the event on my YouTube channel Letspainttv. 30 canvas panels mounted onto a...
Oil
Crow's Nest Saugatuck, MI, Painting, Watercolor on Watercolor Paper
By John Kilduff
Located in Yardley, PA
Plein air watercolor overlooking Lake Michigan from the Crow's Nest in Saugatuck, MI. :: Painting :: Impressionist :: This piece comes with an official certificate of authenticity si...
Watercolor
Ox-Bow woods number 1, Painting, Watercolor on Watercolor Paper
By John Kilduff
Located in Yardley, PA
Plein air watercolor of the woods at Ox-Bow in Saugatuck, MI. :: Painting :: Impressionist :: This piece comes with an official certificate of authenticity signed by the artist :: Re...
Watercolor