Illustration in The Paint Box Vol. 2
| BRITISH COLUMBIA ARTISTS |
He received art instruction from a number of teachers, including Fred Varley, George Southwell, John Innes, and John Radford in Vancouver. He exhibited work with the Island Arts & Crafts Society in Victoria, B.C. in 1928.
He exhibited in the Seattle Art Museum's annual Northwest Artists exhibitions in 1927 and 1928.
In 1934 he had work in the RCA's 55th Annual exhibition, held at the Art Gallery of Ontario.
In 1934 he was living in York Mills, Ontario. He took classes at the Ontario School of Art under J.W. Beatty in Toronto, who provided him with a studio to work in. He became an member elect of the Royal Canadian Academy of Art in 1935, but did not become a full academician. He moved to the United States in 1957. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II, and painted a series of episodes from the Marine Corps history that were widely used and exhibited.
He painted more than 80 covers for the Saturday Evening Post between 1942 and 1963. In 1964 he gave up commercial work and spent his time painting North American game animals and scenes from Western history. The Clymer Museum was founded in Washington State to present his work.
Clymer received numerous awards and honors, including the Prix de West in 1976 from the national Academy of Western Art, as well as both gold and silver medals from the Cowboy Artists of America. He received the "Western Artist of the Year" award from the National Wildlife Art Collectors Society, and the Rungius Medal from the Wildlife of American West Art Museum in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, for his painting "Late Arrivals - Green River Rendezvous".
He died in Jackson Hole, Wyoming in 1989 at the age of 82.
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
| DATE | EXHIBITION | ARTWORK |
| 1929 May 18 - June 8 | BCSFA 21st Annual Exhibition | The Immigrant |
| The Drifter | ||
| Portrait, G.H. Southwell |
SEATTLE ART MUSEUM - NORTHWEST ARTISTS EXHIBITIONS 1914 - 1975
Refer to NWA BC artists by exhibition
Refer to NWAA BC artists alphabetically
THE FINE ARTS IN VANCOUVER, 1886 - 1930 (refer to THOM69)
A BRUSH WITH THE WEST by Dale Burk
1980; 136 pages; ISBN 0-87842-133-5; Mountain Press Publishing Company
Illustrated in black and white, with colour plates
Includes info on John Ford Clymer and works illustrated.
ROYAL CANADIAN ACADEMY OF ARTS - EXHIBITIONS & MEMBERS 1880 - 1979 (refer to RCA81)
MONTREAL MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS - SPRING EXHIBITIONS 1880 - 1970
(refer to MM88)
3 paintings listed in 1934 exhibition for Clymer.
ISLAND ARTS AND CRAFTS SOCIETY - List of Exhibitors
A DICTIONARY OF CANADIAN ARTISTS (refer to M)
Half page biography, partially based on letter from the artist in 1961.
BIOGRAPHICAL INDEX OF ARTISTS IN CANADA (refer to BIAC03)
6 references cited for Clymer.
VANCOUVER PUBLIC LIBRARY - B.C. ARTISTS FILES (refer to VPL)
CITY & PROVINCIAL DIRECTORIES 1928-29 (refer to DIR)