起初，当学徒，直到1801年他的父亲，谁是主车匠，他鼓励它们采取了绘画约翰方式，拉特兰公爵第五。因此，他移居伦敦，体育艺术家门下本杰明·马歇尔。虽然马歇尔训练，他加入了皇家学院学校。

他的工作是在1806年和1853年间展出皇家艺术学院。他在爱尔兰游历一八零六年至1809年，但回到英国结婚，并开始从梅尔顿莫布雷工作。在这里，他建立了自己的工作室，后来房子，埃尔金小屋，在Scalford路。梅尔顿莫布雷是迅速成为了体育界并在现代猎狐在十八世纪后期开发的地方水坑。雨果梅内尔，一个富裕的地方孕育他的猎狗跟上了篱笆马匹和骑手在自己的追求和沟渠。这时乘客开始穿着它要成为传统猩红色夹克。

Ferneley的画作中打猎时，它是非常时尚。好马卖得相当容易为200金币，大部分车手们在他们的马厩至少有十个。他的作品后，多了追捧，他的顾客包括许多皇家队和个性，如花花公子布鲁梅尔和伯爵奥赛。Ferneley经常受委托画一幅著名的阔恩素肉，贝尔沃，和科蒂斯莫尔狩猎。都促成了画家的费用，然后成员抽签决定胜负。Ferneley专门画“scurries”，全景画呈现一系列事件。[1]他结识弗朗西斯·格兰特先生和马的画，而格兰特的回报帮助与人物画帮助他。他们以这种方式合作进行了一些画作。Ferneley的签名是在未干的油漆用大头针头做得非常细致，往往隐藏在一个围栏，稳定的门或在画一个意想不到的角落。他的签名很容易从他的儿子，约翰·少年，谁通常在黑巨资签署了分化。

1810之间和1812年他访问爱尔兰的两倍多，开展富有的爱尔兰顾客委托画了大量的。他制作的六个孩子与他的第一任妻子（谁在1836年去世） - 他的三个孩子后来成了画家。
 

At first, when the apprentice, until 1801, his father, who is a master Wheelwright, he encouraged them to take the paintings of John, fifth Duke of rutland. As a result, he moved to London, the sports art house under Benjamin Marshall. Although Marshall trained, he joined the Royal Academy school.
His job was to present the Royal College of Art in 1806 and 1853. He traveled in Ireland from 1806 to 1809, but returned to England to get married and start working with Melton Mowbray. Here, he built his own studio, later house, Elgin cottage, on Scalford road. Melton Mowbray is rapidly becoming the world of sports and the modern terrier developed in the late eighteenth Century local puddle. Hugo Meynell, a wealthy local breed with his dog fence horse and rider in his pursuit and ditches. When the passengers began to wear it to become a traditional scarlet jacket.
Ferneley's paintings are very fashionable when hunting. The good horse sold quite easily for 200 gold coins, most of the riders in their stables had at least ten. His work, much sought after, his clients include many royals and personality, such as the dandy and the count d'Orsay brumar. Ferneley is often commissioned to paint a famous meat, Belvoir, and Curtis Moore hunt. All contributed to the cost of the artist, and the members decided to draw the lottery. Ferneley specializes in painting "scurries", panoramic painting presents a series of events. [1] he gets acquainted with Mr. Francis Grant and Ma's paintings, while the return of Grant helps with figure painting to help him. They worked together in this way. Ferneley signature is the wet paint with pinhead done very carefully, often hidden in a fence, the stable door or painting in an unexpected corner. His signature was easy to differentiate from his son, John junior, who was usually in black heavily.
Between 1810 and 1812, he visited Ireland more than two times to carry out a large number of wealthy Irish customers commissioned to paint. He produced six children with his first wife (who died in 1836) - his three children later became painters.