Painter Pete Jackson grew up in a family filled with artists in Philadelphia. There was always linseed oil and turpentine in the air, canvases leaning against the walls and easels in odd places. He had no formal art education. His formal education entailed seven years in civil engineering, yet his watercolors give the impression that he has studied the craft well. Pete explains, "As a kid, I spent many hours with my grandfather who painted landscapes in oil. My mother painted still life in oil. Various aunts and uncles painted but none in watercolor. My sister's drawings were so good that I saw them move in my dreams. I taught myself and studied other watercolorists' works in museums and books. Drawing all of my life gave me the foundation needed for watercolor. Because drawing and painting were always a part of my earlier life art has remained important to me."

After college while living in California, Pete began to draw seriously for the first time since high school. In the early 70ʼs, he worked with pencil, charcoal, pen and ink and oils. In 1972, he began experimenting in watercolor. Two years later, he entered watercolors in two juried exhibitions in California. He was awarded first and third place in the Burlingame Art Society show which was the first time an artist won two awards in the same competition.

After moving to Harvard, he connected with Frederic Gallery in Littleton and had three very successful one-man shows in the 80ʼs. While Pete never communicated much with other artists outside of his family, he met Harvard's acclaimed watercolorist Loring Coleman. "I think that he is one of the best watercolorists anywhere. Over the years I visited all of Loring's shows. I gained a lot of insight talking with Loring and studying his work. I generally don't join artists groups or communicate with other artists on a continuing basis because art is very personal to me, but my meetings with Loring were invaluable as a source of learning and inspiration."

Due to career, town and family commitments, I did not paint during the 1990's. In 2001, after retiring from full-time engineering, and after a decade of not painting, he had a small show at Frederick Gallery. He entered one watercolor in the Fitchburg Art Museum New England Regional competition in 2002 and won the top painting prize. Since that time he has slowly returned to painting as time permits. Pete sketches on site and also works from his photographs. "Once I get serious about a subject, I often return to the place to observe different angles, time of day, seasons. I often return to adjust color, decide to add nearby features, subtract other features. It is rare that I paint completely on site."

Pete works in watercolor because of its simplicity and responsiveness. He feels that watercolor gives the brilliance that other mediums can't match. Composing paintings by stripping down nature to its basic shapes is a challenging process, one he finds very satisfying. He is drawn to abstract shapes and subtle colors. "Nature provides a lot of depth. The more I strip away the surface and get to the basic shapes, the more sensitive I become to all that is around me. It becomes hard to concentrate on what I am supposed to be doing with all of this inspiration surrounding me every day!"

Pete doesn't view his work as representational. "I wouldn't call my paintings representational. They all start with composing abstract shapes. I add and subtract elements to support the composition. I would define representational art as one where an observer could look at the subject and the painting and see the likeness. Some of my paintings were inspired by what I see but they are not likenesses. I move things around to make a good composition, always starting with basic abstract shapes. I think people would have a difficult time finding most of the subjects I paint even if I pointed them in the right direction. I use representational objects but most of the time the objects are 'out of place' or exaggerated for the sake of the composition."

He draws inspiration from a diverse group of his favorite artists including Van Gogh, Matisse, Picasso, Dali and Andrew Wyeth. Pete has some projects in the works, "Fortunately, I now have the time I need after many years of full-time work. I usually have a couple of projects going at the same time. I am constantly sketching a couple of things some of which will become watercolors. I hope to complete at least two watercolors a month." He is also interested in returning to oil painting, something he hasn't done in over thirty years. "I have a few ideas that would be best done in oils. I feel more confident in oil painting than in watercolor. I grew up around oil painters, know the colors and techniques very well and am confident that I can put down on canvas what is in my mind. In watercolor, I have to be prepared for the unexpected and adjust continuously, understanding that the result may not be what I had in mind at the beginning. This can be frustrating but this is where creativity comes in to play and the fun begins."

To contact the artist, send email to: paction@charter.net or call 978-456-8864.