Ed Maskevich
I studied at the San Francisco Art Institute and received a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degree. My primary discipline was painting. During this time the school placed emphasis was placed on creativity and exploring new and different materials. Using this as my foundation I gravitated towards abstract work that emphasized color theory. I produced large wall sized paintings in the genre that became known as color field painting.
After graduating, I set up a studio in a small warehouse in San Francisco that I converted for both work and living. I continued to work on color field paintings utilizing commercial paints and materials. It was during this period that I participated in an invitational group show at a major gallery in San Francisco. I also had work accepted in various regional competitions, one of which was the San Jose Museum of Art in San Jose, CA. I continued in this manner for a few years when the opportunity arose for me to move to New York City.
In NYC, I shared a loft with a former schoolmate and supported myself working at an artist supply store in the art district known as SOHO. Close proximity to various galleries gave me the chance to see current trends and new ideas as they emerged as well as to meet other artists. Although this was an exciting time, I was somewhat disappointed. Other artists were rather secretive and did not wish to discuss their artwork for fear of having ideas stolen. The atmosphere was highly competitive and politically charged and it seemed, to me, that a great many artists spent more time working on their reputations rather than their art. There also seemed to be a very elitist atmosphere of wanting to create work that only appealed to a very select audience. This was not why I became an artist. I left NYC and returned to the San Francisco area. I set up another studio and played with various materials and techniques trying to figure out what direction I wanted to head in. It was during this time that I first tried oil pastels.
I eventually married and started to paint with oils in a small format. I did both abstract work and some work that was a bit more representational. I had rediscovered Henri Matisse and The Fauvists. This style appealed to my love of both strong color and shapes. When we started a family I had to give up painting for a period since it wasn’t very conducive with the demands of child rearing. After my children became older and after years of only doing photography and black and white drawings I was anxious to get back to painting and using color but needed something that had minimal set-up and break down time. It was at this time that I discovered pastels (soft). I ended up using soft pastels exclusively for over 10 years.
At this point we had relocated to Michigan. I had been accepted in various local and regional competitions and belonged to a co-op gallery. I also started teaching drawing classes at the local arts council, the Holland Area Arts Council (HAAC). Economics forced the co-op to close. A local gallery, the Uptown Gallery in Holland, MI, eventually picked up my work. I still maintain this relationship. I also started having my work represented by the Ariana Gallery in Royal Oak, MI, an area just north of Detroit.
I started to move away from using soft pastels. This was for a number of reasons. The dust was becoming an issue for me. There was also the special needs to store and frame pastels not to mention shipping problems. I made the switch to oils. This was fine, to an extent, but I really missed the immediacy of the pastels and the fact that it combined the best of both drawing and painting. I decided to try oil pastels again.
I did not care for my first attempts. This was due mostly to using cheaper brands of oil pastels. I did more research and read everything I could find. I started using both Caran D’Ache Neo Pastels and Holbein Oil Pastels and this made a terrific difference. I now have the freedom to use traditional pastel techniques and to incorporate some oil painting techniques. The artist and author, Bill Creevy, has been a great source of technical knowledge for me. I started combining the oil pastels with oil paint. With this work, I picked up representation with the Blue Dome Gallery in Silver City, NM.
I would say that the majority of my work is in oil pastels, although some work is split between both using oil paint alone and oil paint combined with the oil pastels.
I am currently represented by the Ariana Gallery in Royal Oak, MI; the Uptown Gallery in Holland, MI; the Clay Ave Station (gallery) in Muskegon, MI; and the Blue Dome Gallery in Silver City, NM. Some selective exhibitions are:
2006
Self: Portraits and Narratives (invitational)
Lowell Area Arts Council, Lowell, MI
Annual Regional, 2006
First United Methodist Church, Grand Rapids, MI
A Festival of Religious Art
2005
A Body of Work, Figurative Art
The Muskegon Museum of Art, Muskegon, MI.
Annual Regional 2005
The Grand Rapids Museum of Art
Annual Regional; Festival 2005
Judge Janet Haynes Purchase Award
The Battle Creek Arts Council, Battle Creek, MI
Annual Regional 2005
2004
Annual Regional 2004
The Grand Rapids Museum of Art
Annual Regional; Festival 2004
Permanent Collections
The Holland Community Hospital, Holland, MI
The Haworth Conference Center, Hope College, Holland, MI
Grand Rapids Community College, Grand Rapids, MI
Cypress Cove Resort, Kissimmee, FL
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