Eric Johnn was born in  northern Grenada in the village of Mt. Rose, St. Patrick's.    It was apparent quite early that Eric would have a life in the field of art.  

When later he was asked why he chose to be an artist... His response was, 'I did not choose to be an artist...  I think that art chose me instead" And I'm a willing participant, enjoying what I do to the fullest.  I cannot imagine myself doing otherwise.  I'm honored to be a part of this wide and wonderful world of the creative arts.  I possess a great fascination with my own work and I'm motivated and inspired by the work of others'.

As a child Eric hardly spared an opportunity to sketch whatever he saw. 

The subject of his drawings were the chicken (fowls), horses, sailboats-things he saw and admired as a boy.
He also felt connected with nature. He was surrounded by so much of it. Grenada, the nature island it is, provided an environment for meditation and sceneries for sketching.   With time, Eric's artwork took on Grenada's tranquil mood. He painted horses because he saw the races at Seamoons, St. Andrew's.  The chicken, he drew while they roam about his home at Mt.Rose.  In Carriacou where he once lived..., there were sailboats on every blue horizontal plain around the island. 

As time went on, the artwork of Eric Johnn took on new form and shape, and so did the political as well as social dimension of Grenada.   At 17, he won a scholarship to study painting at Simon Bolivar University in Venezuela. The exposure in Venezuela helped motivate the youngster to paint more and to experiment with different art mediums.

His work captures every major facet of Grenadian life.  The island being the lush, exotic and agricultural gem it is, provided the ambitious young painter a wealth of opportunity to paint fish vendors- nutmeg and mangoes, gossiping women, a rum shop masterpiece, an old man relaxing with his dog and yard fowl next to him or a scene at the beach.  When in 1983 Grenada became the center of international intrigue because of a US-Led invasion. The canvas of Eric Johnn depicted that event in vivid form.

Eric Johnn now lives in New York City, but despite the glamour of big city life, his paintings still reflect the charm and calm of beautiful Grenada.........hardly anything has robbed the artist of his Grenadian or Caribbean spark.

In 1997 Eric Johnn graduated with honors from the prestigious School of Visual Arts in New York City with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. In 1999 he earned a Master's degree in art from Lehman College in the Bronx. Eric now works with the Department of Education of New York City as an art teacher and art consultant.

' There is ups and downs in any life Endeavour,  and with art there is no exception.  My career as an artist/art teacher could not have been possible without the love and inspiration shown by those closest to me, especially my mom Clarice, my dad, daddy Cleggon -brothers and sister...Mervyn, Marva, Clarence, Leslie, Val, Clifford, Calvin, and Alec.    My grandparents daddy Markie and mama Tyza.   The early inspiration I got from Grenadian artists John Benjamin and Gordon Hamilton and to my many cousins, nieces, nephews, uncles, aunts, friends and admirers. You made me and through respect and gratitude for the Almighty, I'm surely grateful.'