Painting with John (2021–2023) User Reviews

Simple and Fun

[AlGranthamMusic · 8/10 · 26 January 2021]

John Lurie is a fascinating guy and a considerable talent. The first episode of the his new show sees him bumming around his seaside home in borderline pyjamas; painting, musing, joking, observing. It's not exactly a courtroom thriller but what did you expect? I appreciate some new television that isn't edited at a frenetic pace.

Moving forward, maybe we'll see some interesting guests, but even if it remains just John, the man is quirky enough to capture my attention for twenty minutes.

Check it out.

Bedtime story... that makes you want to paint

[chervenkov · 8/10 · 25 March 2021]

Not sure if this thing has any analogues. I don't know, you have to try the first episode and see if you dig it. There, is a scene where he is literally rolling a tire down a slope "because every day you have to have a bit of fun". Personally enjoyed it, probably because the show is not taking itself seriously at all. Found John fascinating.

Hopefully we see more stuff like this in the future.

Thoroughly Entertained

[jroskelley · 9/10 · 17 February 2021]

As a big fan of Fishing With John, I was thrilled to learn of Painting With John. In short, I was throughly entertained by his style, method, stories, and shenanigans. Your mileage may vary.

Thought (and feeling) provoking.

[PeterHerrmann · 10/10 · 28 June 2021]

Very interesting, informative and entertaining. But, here's the thing : it's success has as much - if not more - to do with the personality (John Lurie) doing the painting and talking than with the content. Even if most of us could paint as well and/or had the same kinds of anecdotes, a similar show would be a failure. But he makes it work.

It's good.

[sae-70248 · 10/10 · 29 January 2021]

"Painting with John" starts its season off with a declaration that many may dislike, "Bob Ross was wrong. Everyone can't paint." John then explains that everyone cannot paint because all too often we lose the childlike creativity that probably drove us to pick up a paintbrush the first time. This show isn't a tutorial on painting, and I think it's something much better because of its musings/ramblings about creativity and the beautiful way the show is shot. I'm not a painter, but this show made me do something Bob Ross's work could never do. After the first episode I scrounged around for some old paint, and just screw around and see why came out. I think this show is less about strictly painting and more of a catalyst for creativity. I hope you like the poem from the first episode.

I am so happy this exists and that we get to hear and see from John again!

[JackMillion · 10/10 · 3 May 2022]

I never knew much about John. I first learned of him from the movies - I was into some indie films back in the day and remember him from them. I also remember Fishing With John, which I also adored. My friend has HBO and when I saw this pop up, I couldn't believe it. I've watched it all twice now already, and can't wait for another season.

I have also listened to his book "The History of Bones" and highly recommend that you do, too.

Until now, I knew nothing about him, but was always a fan. I had no idea he created a band, or was even a musician. I just thought he was a wacky guy, and that's true but wow - he has led one crazy life! I always liked him and now I like him even more.

I like this show because it seems that he has finally been given his own artistic voice. I hope this is true, but it seems that this show is all him - his art, his music or his music choices, his own stories, his own wackiness. It's so genuine and sweet and funny and weird and that's about what John seems like to me and everyone needs more of that in their life, so please watch this show!

This show is just so soothing - John paints some, talks some, there is some neat music, art is shown, stories are told, little odd artistic bits are thrown in. It's a jumbled mess of awesomeness and you need to see it. I even like the end credits with that beautiful music and the slideshow of his art. I paint in oils myself, but haven't done much lately. This show and the music have inspired me to get back at it, and I'm making good stuff.

I mean, John is an artist. In music, in paintings, and now in this show. After listening to his book, I know John was screwed over hard by so many people in the entertainment industry. It makes you sick to learn it, but it is something we should all know. This is why I say I hope John is happy now and is happy with this show. I know I am. We love you John - keep at it!!!!

I liked it

[sarapower · 10/10 · 26 January 2021]

I wasn't sure what to expect and even when it started I wasn't sure what I was watching. If your looking for a "point" I don't think this is for you. To me, it was about art...the laughter and breath of it. I will watch again. When it was over I was just a little more relaxed. It's for the eyes and ears...to me.

Did Lurie lose a bet?

[movieswithgreg · 7/10 · 23 January 2021]

This is Lurie doing My Dinner With Andre without Andre if dinner lasted only 20 minutes. It's jazz-cool, it's word-jazz, it's hauntingly self-promoting of his 2D art, as if his agent or gallery connection said "John, we gotta find a way to drive up your prices on your pieces."

Great Show for Fans of Lurie's Work or People New to It

[palexdifrancesco · 10/10 · 9 February 2021]

This is the ultimate pandemic comfort watch. A few years back, musician, actor, producer, and painter John Lurie went into seclusion on an island in the Caribbean. Now that we're all in seclusion due to COVID, John's showed up back in the television world to show us how to make the most of it -- dedicating ourselves to whatever art we can, and doing at least one fun and ridiculous things every day (in John's case, rolling tires down hills, finding a tree branch that looks like an elephant trunk and cosplaying an elephant all day, etc). Mixed between John's ruminations on life and art are his gorgeous watercolor paintings being done in real-time, and the stellar jazz music from his pre-painting days ensemble, The Lounge Lizards (along with a few Marvin Pontiac gems, too). If you're a fan of John's, you'll be delighted -- he presents himself here as the older, funny, grumpy, genius artist uncle you never knew you really wished you'd had -- and if you're new to his work, maybe his dedication to the divine connections that can be made through art will help you through your own seclusion in these weird pandemic days. Either way, watch. It's a delight.

Artistic man tells awful stories

[ellipseanostalrius · 7/10 · 26 February 2022]

Jazzman John Lurie turns multimedia storyteller. It's bizarre and interesting. But let's face it, John is an awful, awful storyteller. He will spend five minutes setting the scene for what could have been an interesting story in the hands of an experienced narrator, and then invariably the story abruptly ends or fizzles out anticlimatically. That's fine.

I really like John's art that he will paint while he narrates his stories. His art is much like his music: layered, whimsical, and thematic. His music, which is played in segments during his show, is the perfect accompaniment to his painting.

First episode this second season, he introduced more polished implementation of visual multimedia that reminds me of the crude work Terry Gilliam did for Monty pythons. The one thing I absolutely hated about MP, was Terry Gilliam's dreadful cartoonery. So there's that.

I recommend this show to those whom enjoy jazz, the avant-garde, and whimsy. I absolutely don't recommend it to those who need action, resolution, sex, violence, or anything else typical in American cinema.

Artists will enjoy this but anyone will want to learn Watercolor painting after watching him

[zgfrzhc · 10/10 · 30 December 2021]

These videos are funny, relaxing, and very interesting, makes you want to move to one of Caribbean islands.

John is very talented as and artist painter, musician , and art director I suppose. We hope he does continues doing these documentories.

Egotistic artist?

[samuel-granados18 · 6/10 · 24 February 2022]

I'm all for these kind of docs that take you through the artistic process, but it seems to me the artist comes off as a bit pretentious/full of himself. The show seems a bit stagnant for me, it's hard to keep going onto the next ep. Maybe I have a problem with the directors/producers than the actual artist..

Ill truck through the second szn to see if anything has changed.

Waste of time

[facesofine · 3/10 · 25 January 2021]

I was so excited when I heard about this show, but episode 1 left much to be desired. If anyone expects this to be a lesson on painting or demonstration of a technique, don't bother. If you are a fan of John Lurie or simply want to kill some time, go ahead and watch it. Throughout episode 1 he's just rambling, often in the guise of musings, and then in between shots of him talking, there are snippets of water color strokes on some painting without much of any narrative. The premise of the show just seems to be a video of his meditation on and free association of his surroundings and thoughts. Sorry, not my cup of tea.

And let's agree to disagree, he claims "Bob Ross was wrong...not everyone can paint." Fact is everyone CAN paint. And Bob Ross inspires people to paint while this show is a doozy of a downer.

One star for its "creative" aspirations; one star for its efforts; one star for painting with water color for environment's sake.

Loved it

[ysstog · 10/10 · 29 October 2021]

If only HBO were filled with content like this instead of superhero and teen stuff. Wonderful to listen to Lurie ramble on. I immediately went out and bought his memoir after watching this.

Wouldn't waste your time viewing.

[charles-70673 · 9/10 · 3 March 2021]

The series that John has been paid for. Is a total waste of time to view. Unless you're just wanting to observe some drunk/drugged man just babble about absolutely nothing. Incredibly, he has fouled so many people. I do not typically write reviews however, these shows just absolutely stun me. By his shameful inner spirit to only gain some sort of financial gain. For a return of trickery. As for his island that he claims that he doesn't want to reveal. Is a joke as well. Anyone's that ever done extensive traveling throughout the Caribbean Isles as I have and I'm sure thousands of others have done as well. Can ping him on the red dot effortlessly as simple as a game of darts. Have a wonderful day.

Egomaniacal Talent

[feastorafamine-951-832096 · 6/10 · 27 March 2021]

The paintings, the work is divine, but this felt like self absorbed gluttony. Drinking your own koolaide is never a flattering sight. Name drops, stories of intellectual superiority, the "madness" of an artist contrived to bolster his work without need.

I wish this wasn't filmed entirely with John's POV. Who makes a movie about themselves, when the work should speak for itself? Amazing artist, who somehow manages to overshadow his brilliant work with his own ego. A trait not uncommon with artists, but watching this self absorbtion diminishes his wonderful art.

Zzzz....

[hctymbs · 1/10 · 20 February 2021]

Why? I love quirky, dry or dark humor. I don't think there's any entertainment here. It's just a boring guy telling boring stories while painting boring pictures. Maybe if you run out of sleep medication this could be a remedy.

Garbage

[persilver · 1/10 · 7 October 2021]

This series has nothing to do with painting. I don't know who this guy is, but apparently he has fans. I guess good for them? It's not about painting, it's not inspiring, it's not well written, or anything. I don't get the high ratings. Even if I were a fan, this is just him rambling on about things that happened in his life sometimes. Am I supposed to watch it on mushrooms or something? Should've been a podcast or something thrown on YouTube.