Kilroy graduated from The Art Institute of Boston, where he studied with Norman Baer and Walter Marks. Both these excellent teachers had a direct connection to the Brandywine School and American Illustration, as they were both students of Harvey Dunn, a Howard Pyle student. Early influences on Kilroy were Frank Frazetta and all the great artists involved with the Famous Artists School. He studied figure and landscape painting privately for 10 years with color master Robert Bliss, who was a student of Carolyn Wyeth.
Kilroy is especially influenced by the teaching and art of modern masters John Asaro and Richard Schmid,whose alla-prima painting techniques and philosophy Kilroy took to heart. John is a member of the Richard Schmid and Nancy Guzik painting group, The Putney Painters.
He was also inspired to become a painter because of a small group of Taos/Denver artists active in the 1970's. Among this group including Ned Jacob, William E. Sharer, Mark Daily, Len Chmiel, and George Carlson that really influenced Kilroy to open up to the ideas of diversified contemporary realism as a personal direction.
Robert A.Monroe has been a huge inspiration and influence.