Jeff St John's fascination with contrast began early in life when he found himself drawn to black and white photography. After graduating from Texas Tech University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, his first few paintings were completed in black and white. Today he "underpaints" each new work in the two opposing tones and then comes back with layers and layers of colored glazes. The technique gives his work high visual intensity and drama, along with a masculine feel that catches the viewers' eyes even from a distance.

"I have tried to be a more loose, traditional painter, but I've always been drawn back to a very crisp, contemporary style. You wonʼt find a brushstroke on my canvas. It is just the way I'm built.

Another point of contrast is St John's depiction of shadowed faces and silhouettes against brighter surroundings, particularly when painting the working cowboy. He explains the thought process about these scenes this way: "Most real cowboys are very private people. They spend hours of time alone on the land with their own thoughts, and so they donʼt open up to others easily. By keeping their faces in the shadows, I'm conveying what strangers immediately sense when they approach. Cowboys will not let themselves be readily known. Theirs is a friendship that must be earned."