John Alan Design — Monumental Art. Singular Spaces.

Monumental Art. Singular Spaces.

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About

Four decades at the intersection of fine art and architecture.

John Alan has spent his career working at a scale most artists never attempt — and in spaces most people only visit. Cathedrals. Museums. Grand private residences. Each project begins not with a brush but with a conversation: about light, about message, about history, about what a space is meant to feel like when it is finally complete.

His practice spans fresco, mosaic, mural, and sculpture. He has collaborated with architects, preservation specialists, and private clients across the country, bringing to each commission the same rigorous attention to craft and the same fundamental belief: that art made for a specific place, by a specific hand, is irreplaceable.

Based in Santa Fe, NM. Working everywhere.

Selected Work

Projects

A selection of commissions across four decades. All work is site-specific, all materials are chosen for longevity, and every project begins with a conversation.

Sunflower Mosaic — Blue Butterfly Detail

Pomegranate Tree Fresco — Private Residence

Clients & Recognition

A record of trust.

Clients

Archdiocese of Santa Fe
Diocese of Tucson
Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi, Santa Fe NM
St. John the Baptist Church, Espanola NM
Our Lady of Lourdes Chapel, Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo NM
San Felipe de Neri Church, Old Town Albuquerque NM
St. Augustine Cathedral, Tucson AZ
Our Lady of the Valley Parish, Green Valley AZ
St. Thomas the Apostle Church, Tucson AZ
St. Mark the Evangelist Church, Oro Valley AZ
Blessed Mother Chapel, Tucson AZ
St. Bede’s Episcopal Church, Santa Fe NM
The Heard Museum, Phoenix AZ

Recognition

Human Rights Alliance Advocate Award
Sara Melton Award for Excellence in Preservation, Santa Fe Historical Foundation
Design Excellence Merit Award, American Institute of Architects
Heritage Preservation Award, City of Santa Fe
Volunteer of the Year, Phoenix Art Awakenings
Historical Preservation Award, Tucson-Pima County Historical Commission
AZ Governor’s Heritage Preservation Honor Award
James W. Garrison Heritage Award, bestowed by the AZ Governor

Bespoke Services

The work begins long before the first mark.

Every commission starts with a site visit and an extended conversation. John spends time understanding not just the architecture but the life lived inside it — how light moves through the rooms, what the client loves, what they want to feel when they walk through the door. The design process is genuinely collaborative, and no two projects are alike.

From that foundation, he develops a proposal that integrates seamlessly with the existing architecture. Whether the work is a single painted panel or a room-spanning fresco, it is conceived as part of the building — not applied to it. Materials are selected for longevity. Techniques are chosen for the specific conditions of the space.

The result is work that does not announce itself. It simply belongs. Clients often say the same thing: it looks as though it has always been there.

Begin a conversation

Workshop participants working on mosaic panels

Coaching & Workshops

Creativity is not a personality trait. It is a practice.

The Approach

Rigorous foundations. Practical outcomes.

John holds a professional coaching certification and advanced training in group therapy methodology. His corporate workshops are grounded in the science of flow states, creative cognition, and group dynamics — not motivational frameworks or pop-psychology.

The research base is Csikszentmihalyi, Amabile, and the broader positive psychology literature. The application is practical, measurable, and lasting. Participants leave with genuine capacity — not inspiration that fades by Monday morning.

Programs

What we offer.

Teams of 8–20—Half-day or full-day

Flow State Fundamentals

An experiential workshop that introduces the conditions for flow — challenge-skill balance, clear goals, immediate feedback — and builds team practices that sustain them. Grounded in Csikszentmihalyi's research and adapted for organizational contexts.

Outcomes

Understand the neurological and psychological basis of flow
Identify personal and team-level flow blockers
Build a shared vocabulary for creative states
Leave with a concrete team protocol for protecting deep work

Leadership teams, 4–12—Full-day intensive

Creative Cognition for Leaders

A structured exploration of how creative thinking actually works — divergent and convergent modes, incubation, the role of constraint, and the conditions under which novel ideas emerge. Draws on Amabile's componential model and recent cognitive neuroscience.

Outcomes

Distinguish creative thinking from brainstorming
Design environments that support creative cognition
Lead teams through ambiguity without collapsing it prematurely
Evaluate ideas with rigor rather than consensus

Cross-functional teams—Full-day or two half-days

Collaboration Across Difference

Drawing on group therapy methodology, this workshop builds the relational infrastructure that makes genuine collaboration possible: the ability to tolerate disagreement, hold multiple perspectives, and generate solutions that no single person could have reached alone.

Outcomes

Build psychological safety without sacrificing rigor
Navigate conflict as a creative resource
Develop shared norms for productive disagreement
Strengthen trust across functional and cultural difference

Executives, creatives, professionals—Ongoing engagement

Individual Coaching

One-on-one coaching for individuals navigating creative blocks, career transitions, or the challenge of sustaining high performance over time. Sessions are structured, evidence-based, and focused on measurable change.

Outcomes

Clarify values and creative direction
Develop sustainable practices for deep work
Address the psychological dimensions of creative risk
Build accountability structures that actually hold

Credentials

The work is grounded.

Professional Coaching CertificationICF-accredited program
Advanced Group Therapy MethodologyGraduate-level training
Flow State ResearchCsikszentmihalyi & positive psychology literature
Creative CognitionAmabile's componential model & cognitive neuroscience
40+ Years of Creative PracticeApplied across architecture, fine art, and design

Contact

Let's talk about your project.

Whether you have a specific commission in mind or simply want to explore what's possible, John welcomes the conversation.

Upcoming

Home & Garden Tour

See a completed fresco and mural in a private residence — and meet John in person.