The Artful Life Of John Palombo: A Path Of Mysticism, Torture, & A Little Debauchery
With just enough challenge growing up to gain some deep colors and spectrum in his life, he has made use of the follies and torture of being human and turned them into joy and happiness by finding something that truly spoke to his soul – visiting remote natural areas and painting.
At age six he moved from his birth-land of Louisiana to his German grandparent’s cabin home in the woods of Indiana. It was as though his grandmother’s art and his grandfather’s love of being in the woods was where the magic seeped through the cracks. Sally Kriner, was a fine artist of lovely flower arrangements in the medium of oil painting. Her studio was placed on the backside of the home with large windows that overlooked the endless rolling hills of deciduous forests where he played.
He was always creative and searching for outlets from a young age on into adulthood – poetry, drawing, pottery, photography, music, gardening, web design, graphic design, animation, paper arts, carpentry, psychedelics…
At age 37, he started a small handyman company that grew to be very successful, and yet, he was ultimately unhappy and felt starved for the magic that made life worth living. It was the simplistic art of noticing, and through the attentive presence with the life he saw around him, that inspired him to depict the richness of color that life emits. He attempted to capture colors and turning them into shapes… first it was water colors, then he was encouraged to take up acrylics.
The focus of his art has been landscapes of Southern Oregon, and particularly Southeastern Oregon. He initially began with impressionistic shapes and landscapes and found himself a bit lost. He then began to use his photos of SE Oregon as inspiration and found an exquisite ability to produce near realism, which he would then blend some impressionistic aspects into, adding a touch of the magic that he experiences in these places. He is currently on display at ART on FIRST
Jessica Johnson is a contemporary landscape oil painter born in San Francisco and raised in the Pacific Northwest. Passionate about the outdoors since her earliest backpacking trip at just 3 years old, Jessica works to capture and communicate the inspiring beauty of the landscapes that surround her home and permeate her adventures. Expressive brushstrokes and color convey movement intertwined with emotion in her work, evoking feelings of deep connection to the landscapes she immerses us in. She loves using vibrant color and rich shadows to convey wonder, joy, playfulness, and reverence through her art.
Artist Statement:
Freedom for me meant going outside to escape the chaos and emotional turmoil of growing up in an alcoholic home, exploring the woods around us in rural northern California, and feeling a sense of safety and spirituality in nature that sunk deep into my bones.
My artistic journey has felt like a gradual unbinding from inner constriction, reclamation of my power and granting my spirit this freedom of expression through creating. I try to let myself be free on the canvas… to transmute the beauty and healing I experience in nature while simultaneously connecting to my inner world. Through painting, I have been reconnecting to my child self - her joy, her natural confidence, the one who loved the juiciness of life. I am so amazed and grateful for the transformational beauty this journey has brought forth from dark places. I wish that kind of freedom for everyone.
My paintings often evoke wonder and playfulness with light colorful elements amidst darker backgrounds of rich textures and shadows. I believe that our lives contain the full spectrum of emotions and the rich colors and textures of my paintings mirror that truth. Through my work, I hope to inspire a deeper connection both to the vibrant life force running through all beings and to the Earth we walk upon, invoking care and reverence for both.
