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.
Surfing Mendocino Bay, Painting, Oil on Canvas
By John Kilduff
Located in Yardley, PA
Plein air oil painting of Mendocino Bay. Painted during the Mendocino plein air festival. :: Painting :: Impressionist :: This piece comes with an of...
Oil
Kilduff App, Painting, Oil on Canvas
By John Kilduff
Located in Yardley, PA
In 2019, there was this fun app that people could see how they would look like being older by submitting their photos. Not sure if this was some kind of data mining operation but it ...
Oil
Campbell soup cans, Painting, Oil on Canvas
By John Kilduff
Located in Yardley, PA
I painted a series of consumer products and ended up painting the classic Campbell soup can. Oil on canvas panels mounted on a wood frame. :: Painting :: Impressionist :: This piec...
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
30 planes landing into Burbank Airport, Painting, Oil on Canvas
By John Kilduff
Located in Yardley, PA
For a little over 3 hours on March 22, 2019, I painted all of the planes as they flew over my backyard. 30 paintings in all, each painting is 8" x 10". Oil on canvas panels. Panels m...
Oil
Portrait of osculating fan while on treadmill, Painting, Oil on Canvas
By John Kilduff
Located in Yardley, PA
Still life portrait of an osculating fan while running on a treadmill. Streamed live on my Youtube channel: letspainttv :: Painting :: Impressionist :: This piece comes with an off...
Oil
Palm Perspective number 2, Painting, Oil on Canvas
By John Kilduff
Located in Yardley, PA
I always liked seeing the palm trees going into the horizon and thought it would be interesting to capture that feeling on a triangle shaped canvas. :: Painting :: Pop-Art :: This pi...
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
Olive tree in the backyard, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas
By John Kilduff
Located in Yardley, PA
Plein air acrylic painting of the olive tree in the backyard. :: Painting :: Impressionist :: This piece comes with an official certificate of authenticity signed by the artist :: Re...
Acrylic
Under the Olive tree number 2, Painting, Oil on Canvas
By John Kilduff
Located in Yardley, PA
Painting of the olive tree in the backyard. Spray paint, acrylic and oil on canvas. :: Painting :: Impressionist :: This piece comes with an official certificate of authenticity sign...
Oil
Hollyhock, Painting, Oil on Canvas
By John Kilduff
Located in Yardley, PA
I have been experimenting the last few years using spray paint, acrylic and oils on the canvas. I painted this en plein air in my backyard. :: Painting :: Contemporary :: This piec...
Oil
Still life of a jar of pickles #2, 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. Spray paint, acrylic and oils on Canvas :: Painting :: Pop-Art :: This piece comes with an official ce...
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
Tulips in a vase, Painting, Oil on Canvas
By John Kilduff
Located in Yardley, PA
Painted these tulips that where in the dining room. I used spray paint, acrylic and oils on the painting. :: Painting :: Impressionist :: This piece comes with an official certificat...
Oil
Goya's 3rd of May 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
Tulips in a vase, Painting, Oil on Canvas
By John Kilduff
Located in Yardley, PA
Plein air oil painting of tulips in a vase. :: Painting :: Impressionist :: This piece comes with an official certificate of authenticity signe...
Oil
Riding subway in NYC, Painting, Oil on Canvas
By John Kilduff
Located in Yardley, PA
I did a series of paintings in the studio based on sketches I did while riding the New York subways this summer (2016). :: Painting :: Impressionist :: This piece comes with an offic...
Oil
Cheesebro Oak, Painting, Oil on Canvas
By John Kilduff
Located in Yardley, PA
Plein air painting (painted on location) of an oak tree at Cheesebro Park in Agoura Hills, California. :: Painting :: Impressionist :: This piece comes with an official certificate o...
Oil
Farmers and Merchants Bank, Painting, Oil on Canvas
By John Kilduff
Located in Yardley, PA
Plein air painting of the Farmers and Merchants Bank in Downtown Los Angeles. :: Painting :: Impressionist :: This piece comes with an official certificate of authenticity signed by ...
Oil
Hydrangeas #1, Painting, Oil on Canvas
By John Kilduff
Located in Yardley, PA
I did a series of paintings based on this Hydrangea plant I bought at the local supermarket. This one was the largest one I did. It is full of bold thick brushstrokes. :: Painting ::...
Oil
Hydrangeas #2, Painting, Oil on Canvas
By John Kilduff
Located in Yardley, PA
I painted this painting a number of years ago as part of a series I did on this Hydrangea plant I picked up at the local supermarket. The painting is full of big, bold, colorful, th...
Oil
Sari's Cactus Garden, Painting, Oil on Canvas
By John Kilduff
Located in Yardley, PA
Plein air (painted on location) painting of Sari's cactus garden. :: Painting :: Impressionist :: This piece comes with an official certificate of authen...
Oil
17 mile drive, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas
By John Kilduff
Located in Yardley, PA
Large painting of the beautiful coast near Carmel, California. Spray Paint and Acrylic on Canvas. :: Painting :: Impressionist :: This piece comes with an official certificate of aut...
Acrylic
Farmers and Merchants Bank, Painting, Oil on Canvas
By John Kilduff
Located in Yardley, PA
Plein air (painted on location) at the corner of 4th and Main in Downtown Los Angeles, California. This painting was done for the 2018 Los Angeles Plein Air Festival. I won the Grand...
Oil
17 mile drive #2, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas
By John Kilduff
Located in Yardley, PA
Large painting of the beautiful coast near Carmel, California. Spray paint, Acrylic and Oil on Canvas. :: Painting :: Impressionist :: This piece comes with an official certificate o...
Acrylic
4th of July Sale, Painting, Oil on Other
By John Kilduff
Located in Yardley, PA
This painting was painted on location (plein air) in front of a car dealership on Van Nuys Blvd in Los Angeles, California. :: Painting :: Americana :: This ...
Oil
Backyard still life, Painting, Oil on Canvas
By John Kilduff
Located in Yardley, PA
Plein air oil painting of a found still life in my backyard. :: Painting :: Impressionist :: This piece comes with an official certificate of authenticity signed by the artist :: Rea...
Oil
San Fransisco Victorians, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas
By John Kilduff
Located in Yardley, PA
Painted this in the studio, based on a photo I took of some Victorians just a block away from Haight Street in San Francisco. This is part of a new series of paintings where I spray ...
Acrylic
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
Jet Stream Liquors, Painting, Oil on Canvas
By John Kilduff
Located in Yardley, PA
Plein air (painted on location) oil painting of Jet Stream Liquors in North Hollywood, which is about a mile away from the Burbank Airport. :: Painting :: Impressionist :: This piec...
Oil