The artist, John Karklins, was born in Riga, Latvia in 1941 and arrived in Chicago in 1951. In the time since then he has practiced architecture in Chicago, Frankfurt, Germany and Riga, Latvia. Art and painting have always played an important role in his life, starting with numerous scholarships to the Art Institute of Chicago in his youth and leading to having his own “Cityscapes and Urban Wildlife Studio” in the Flatiron Building in Chicago. He has published a “centerfold” of his work in “Good Old Boat” magazine And sold a number of his marine paintings through a number of galleries in Chicago as well as through direct commissions. Since retiring from Architecture John devotes himself to Painting, sailing his ketch, “Zvirbulis III”, practicing celestial navigation, Fencing epee’, archery – recurve and longbow only – playing classical guitar and occasionally teaching construction related subjects at Triton college.