John Armistead

John Armistead, an ordained minister, is an award-winning author, artist, and journalist. He holds degrees from Mississippi College, the University of Mississippi, Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary, and New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary.

"I have been writing fiction since high school," said Armistead, "and painting since childhood."

Armistead began formal studio training in Mobile when he was eight years old, working in pastels and oils. He continued art studies through college, and in recent years has participated in master's classes taught by Everett Raymond Kinstler at the Lyme Academy of Fine Art in Old Lyme, Connecticut, the Art Student's League of New York, and the National Academy of Design in New York City. The influence of Kinstler, the country's foremost painter of five U.S. presidents and over 50 cabinet members, is increasingly evident in his work.

Armistead, born in 1941, began publishing short stories and articles during the 1970s, but did not published his first novel until 1994.

"I have always loved stories," said Armistead. "Like every Southern writer of my generation, I remember sitting on the front porch and hearing my great-aunts and grandmother talk of people and events from long past days. I can also remember beginning to make up my own stories, daydreaming, as it were, when I was in grammar school. That's still the way I make up stories today."

Armistead is a member of the Mystery Writers of America, the Authors Guild, the National Association of Independent Artists, the Portrait Society of America, and the Harley Owners Group (HOG).

Armistead is the author of three mystery novels and two novels for teen-agers, and hundreds of his paintings hang in museums and homes throughout the country.

He lives with his family in Tupelo, Mississippi.

"There is a quote from Pliny cherished by both artists and writers, 'Nulla dies sine linea,'" said Armistead. "It means, 'Never a day without a line.' That's my credo too. For me, it applies to both writing and art."