Jethro Jackson - Paintings

The North Coast Collection II
I have always loved the remoteness and seclusion of certain parts of Cornwall. I find great satisfaction in the isolation and solitude of beaches that can only be accessed by foot. I have surfed from a young age and stumbled upon locations that one would not normally come across. These “secret spots” take considerable effort to reach but are well worth the effort for upon doing so you reap the rewards of your labours. Dramatic cliff faces tumble and plunge to rocky outcrops, carved out through the years by the thundering Atlantic swells. Groups of Oyster Catchers search busily amongst rocks, dipping hungrily in and out of pools in their endless search for food. The sweet tang of the salt air stings the eyes and dries the face. Powerful waves suck up sand and pebbles from the ocean floor and dump them on the beach with loud and mighty thumps. This awakening and heightening of the senses is what pulls me back, time and time again, to paint or craft and transmit in to clay or on to canvas.

I have always lived in Cornwall and have a real affinity and empathy with the North Coast. I believe this helps me to create work that has an atmospheric and sensitive originality.

North Coast Paintings II
With my most recent collection of paintings I have focused on seascapes. I have always used a representational approach to my paintings though more recently I have added my own interpretation to create a more individualistic effect. I work from the many sketches that I collect direct from the subject matter, always placing great importance in draftsmanship, a throw back from my animation training. I take numerous photographs to enhance my colour remembrance. Colour remembrance is simply oil pastels scribbled down at the scene in order to help my choice pallet. At times in the past I became obsessive about getting the painting to resemble, as closely as possible, the digital photograph. I now try to rely more on personal memory which allows a greater degree of individual interpretation. In doing this I am aiming to create a more personal connection while still maintaining recognition of a specific location. The major change in these paintings is perhaps through a more confident approach which allows me to utilize experience to paint with more obvious painterly qualities. I have drifted away from heave-textured surfaces and placed much greater emphasis on the paint itself.