Jessica Masters

For the past 15 years I have been working as a landscape painter using both oils and chalk pastel. My work is inspired by elements of the landscape such as sky, water, and trees. My goal when I approach the canvas is to create a pure representation of the landscape where the play of light defines the relationships between the elements. However, on its own pure representation is not enough. I want to capture the atmosphere of the scene because this is what I respond to. The lighting conditions of the landscape can trigger a memory or a feeling and momentarily take me from present to past. These are the moments that silence us, that flood us with both a sense of longing and of peace. Perhaps also we feel regret or loss. It is this experience that motivates me to paint a particular scene. Drawing and strong composition are important tools to be able to create each image. These techniques, coupled with loose brush work and a muted palette, allow the images to become more like memories.

I received my bachelor degree in Fine Art at the University of Guelph in 1995. My work has been exhibited widely in both group and solo exhibitions, and is held in many private collections throughout Canada and the U.S. In the past my painting have appeared several times in the Canadian decorating magazine ‘Style at Home” and been shown on HGTV with Kimberly Seldon. Recently I moved from Ontario to the Eastern Townships of Quebec where I live with my husband and two children.