About John Pascoe - Artist

I began developing my current artistic language five years ago, in order to further challenge and grow my artistic vision. I first picked up oil pastels in 1992 because I was intrigued by the vibrant colors and difficulty I found in working with it. I use Senilier and Holblein oil pastels on Wallis museum grade pastel paper. Primarily using my fingers to mix pastels on the paper, I do quite a bit of layering, and use dental tools for texturing and scraping to expose base layers and under-tones. It is not uncommon for me to layer six to ten different layers of color in my work. In the following pieces my perspectives are from 700 to 2000 feet above my subjects. I grew up flying around the Pacific Northwest in seaplanes as a kid. I learned to fly gliders in Calistoga (Napa) thirty years ago. Perspectives gained from high above have always inspired me. My work moves back and forth between the abstract and the representational. I begin each piece with the puzzle of line, shape, form, balance in juxtaposition and work towards a harmonic resolution. As I work through a piece adding colors, textures and elements, details begin to emerge and mingle in the structure of my work.

microclimates

Inspiration for my work has evolved from 25 years of living in Sonoma County overlooking the Russian River Valley and from observing the evolution of the landscape in my favorite places over this time. In search of a language to capture my personal vision and interpretation of the countryside, I began working in 2000 with oil pastels and charcoal, initially on very small pieces.

Witnessing the introduction of man-made elements that give structural definition to the natural land, I have watched as roads, new vineyards and structures impact the look and feel of rural landscapes. Driving down a back road will inevitability reveal an undulating hillside planted for vineyards, some new, some very old. Repetitive patterns emerge -- fencing, vineyard rows, milk cartons for newly planted vines, trellising, an outbuilding, a row of olive trees -- these all add definition and a rhythm to my landscapes. I seek to tell their story.

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