John Ridgewell was born in Halstead, Essex. He studied at the Colchester School of Art (1954–58) and at the Royal College of Art (1958–61). He went on to teach at Scarborough School of Art up to 1966, after which he focused on painting landscapes, notable for their often unconventional viewpoints and compositions. Ridgewell participated in group exhibitions in London at the New Art Centre, Piccadilly Gallery and the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition. Solo shows were held in York (1963, 1990 and 1993). He died in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk in 2004.
