Jon Van Zyle twice completed the 1,049 miles of the Iditarod Trail in the yearly sled dog race between Anchorage and Nome. In 1977, he created the annual Iditarod poster series reflecting these adventures and commemorating the race. His acrylic paintings go beyond the race though, and encompass much of Alaska's beauty. Jon paints Alaska with an emotion and a feeling few possess: dog teams, landscapes and Alaskan faces portray an intimacy with the land and its people. He touches on history with studies of pioneer history and native traditions and lore, recording the Alaskan spirit.

Jon studied art in Colorado. Born in the Midwest, he lived in the East, the Northwest and Hawaii before making Alaska his home in 1971. Jon and his wife travel Alaska extensively, gathering material and experiences for new works of art. The Van Zyles live near Eagle River where they maintain a dog team of registered Siberian Huskies. Both inspirational and functional, the dogs play a large part in Jon's work, as does the secluded atmosphere of the woods surrounding his studio/home.

Jon Van Zyle's work has attracted attention beyond Alaska's boundaries. The Charles and Emma Frye Art Museum in Seattle held an exhibition of his paintings in February, 1983, and his works were included in Alaska's Artists in Washington, D.C., an exhibition commemorating the 25th anniversary of the statehood of Alaska. Van Zyle's works hang in the Anchorage Fine Arts Museum, the Nome Historical Museum, the Hawaii State Foundation of the Arts and in many private collections.