Jason Tako, art, exhibition, painting, landscape, gallery,

By permission of the artist, The Cyber Art Show is pleased to feature the second of two 12-piece Exhibitions of works by American contemporary Impressionist painter Jason Tako (born 1972 in Minnesota).

His grandfather a carpenter, his father an artist and carpenter, Jason also developed an interest in art at a young age. While growing up in rural Minnesota, he would spend hours in the wetlands and wooded areas sketching and observing the wildlife and nature that surrounded him. Jason soon became known by teachers and peers for his artistic abilities, and eventually won an award in a state-wide high school illustration competition.

During his senior year in high school, at the urging of some friends Jason switched his focus to learning music and electric bass. He then graduated from the McNally Smith College of Music with the Outstanding Bassist of the Year award. But ten years later, after realizing how much he missed being outdoors and recording his observations, Jason bought a sketchbook and headed back out to the woods and wetlands. There he painstakingly worked his way from pencil to watercolor while using nature and wildlife as his subject matter and teacher. Not long after, Jason went back to college and earned his degree in Applied Visual Arts and was encouraged by his teacher Bara Arens to pursue a career in fine art. Jason furthered his studies under renowned landscape artist Scott Christensen displaying a constant passion for plein air painting.

Direct experience is the primary inspiration for Jason's work which blends realism with painterly expression. Usually he seeks a location or subject matter that interests him and will create field studies on location (aka plein air paintings) and take photographs. Back in the studio this reference material is utilized to create a final painting. At other times Jason will complete a painting on location-alla prima, en plein air. Jason has a passion for the prairie wetlands, classic and rural architecture, waterfowl, and western wildlife. Many of his paintings are from trips to his home state of Minnesota or out to Wyoming. Yet he will often be found painting locally where he and his wife raise their children in southern Pennsylvania. Jason's Catholic Faith influences not only his views on life, but also on art. He often says he is really just plagiarizing the beauty that God has given to us. Since created beauty is ever in motion, and God is ever constant, Jason views art as trying to make ever-changing beauty ever-constant. In this way he hopes his art will lift the viewer to a contemplation higher than what is seen.