John Edward Lynch was born in Philadelphia on July 14, 1914. The eldest of five boys and one girl, he had to quit high school at fourteen and work because of his father’s illness. In his early 20’s he met some like-minded aspiring artists while taking classes at Philadelphia Art Museum School. They opened a small studio on Walnut Street and lived the life of young Bohemians. He had a gift for dynamic portraits and moody landscapes. Also among the young artists in that studio was James Kelly, John's best friend. Later John would invite Kelly to join him in San Francisco and there Kelly launched a successful art career in San Francisco and New York.