PORTLAND – John Guilford Swan, 76, “The Art God”, who was best known for his museum quality paintings, passed away in his home in Stroudwater, built, along with the Tate House by his ancestors, on Feb. 15, 2025.

A graduate of the University of New Hampshire, he started his career in the art world as an art teacher at Windham Junior High School.

He received many honors for his art including multiple Artists of the Year awards from Ducks Unlimited and Atlantic Salmon Federation among others. He graced the cover of magazines from Gray’s Sporting Journal to Esquire, as well as books and novels.

It wasn’t just his own paintings that interested him. He was a self-taught art historian, as anyone who ever visited a museum or watched an art program with him would know. He would relate not just the history of almost any painting or artist he came across, from Monet to Homer, to a whole list of artists most have never heard about but would also gladly explain what techniques the artist used.

As much as he loved painting, it was the inspiration behind his art that was where his true passion lay. It was spending time with his family and friends and traveling to his favorite places. Whether it was tying flies and fly fishing with his grandson Ivan, his son John and daughter-in-law Elena on Kennebago where he learned the same skills from his grandfather or casting a line on the bonefish flats in the Bahamas or a river in Norway to accompanying his son Michael to watch his grandson James’ Jiu jitsu and wrestling matches. That was what truly mattered to him.

In addition to his sons and grandchildren, John is survived by his brother Stephen Swan and his sister Deborah Blackburn, a brother-in-law, sister-in-law, niece and four nephews.

In lieu of flowers, please make donations to: The American Cancer Society