Jason Waskey
Artist’s Statement
I paint scenes of ordinary people, ordinary places. My goal is for others to see the extraordinary in these scenes. I was asked recently what is my secret weapon in art. My secret weapon is that I have more than one weapon in my arsenal. I have two. The first is a relentless passion to be a working artist. That means I commit to putting in both the time and the effort to make that dream come true. I think that all of the artists who are truly successful wield that weapon. But the second weapon is my favorite. It’s my sense of humor. Nothing’s worse than a self-centered artist insufferably full of Sturm und Drang.
Sometimes when I look at a painting of mine I see clearly that there is a style-the work certainly looks like it was created by my hands. That being said, it feels like I have years to go before I am able to transfer what is in my head to canvas. In that sense, I am definitely still processing. I see work done by others, or some new aspect of nature reveals itself and it begins to find its way into paintings.
I work both methodically and spontaneously. When I create a figurative piece, I work from photographs that I take. I usually have an idea of what the painting should look like when I take the photo, so I prepare my canvas with some precision: I great gridlines and measurements that form boundaries within which I am free to be more spontaneous. I usually create a line drawing with my brush that I will completely cover with paint before I am through. I never paint the photograph, but instead the scene the photo has capture. I also work extensively from life, and there too I strive to set some initial boundary conditions within which I can explore color, value, form and texture.
BIO
Jason was raised in Santa Fe, New Mexico. He trained as an artist first at Parsons School of Design in New York City, and then received his B.F.A. from the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque. Jason’s works have been exhibited nationally and internationally in both group and solo gallery exhibitions. His art has been seen in numerous publications, including a graphic novel co-authored with writer Devin O’Leary.
He resides in Seattle, where he tries to paint every day, rain or shine, in the studio and en plein air. He pursues the holy trinity of representational art: landscape, still life, and figure.
SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS 2005
Prosser Gallery Walk – - Prosser, Washington 2004
ec•lec•tic gallerie – - Seattle, Washington 2002
Zerene – - Seattle, Washington 1997
Habitude – - Seattle, Washington 1996
Art Bar – - Seattle, Washington 1992
Found Family – - ASA Gallery – Albuquerque, New Mexico
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS 2009
NSCC – Miniatures and Small Worlds – - Seattle, Washington 2005 – 2010 Dezart Gallery – - Palm Springs, California 2004
Kenmore Arts Festival – - Kenmore, Washington 2004
Parklane Gallery International Miniature Art Show – - Kirkland, Washington 2003
Kenmore Arts Festival – - Kenmore, Washington 2003
Magnolia Arts Festival – - Seattle, Washington 2001
Zerene – - Seattle, Washington
AWARDS 2010
Lincoln City Plein Air Paint Out
— People’s Choice Award 2004
Kenmore Arts Festival
— 2nd place painting and drawing
— Honorable mention painting and drawing
2003 Kenmore Arts Festival
— Honorable mention painting and drawing