John McCaskill

About his art John McCaskill says, "I’m interested in creating a sense of balance, a place where the world of conceptual ideas meets the natural world. When I first arrived in Hawaii a decade ago my work was more reflective. As I transitioned from the commercial world of advertising and printing my artwork began to change. Over time I have become less introspective. There is a spirit that is omnipresent in Hawaii and it’s possible to connect with it if you have a clear and receptive mind".

McCaskill’s artwork has been influenced by traditional Eastern art and the Japanese philosophy of Wabi Sabi that looks at life for its beauty and accepts transience. "There is a natural process that is imperfect, impermanent and incomplete. Like the world around us my art is constantly evolving".

Most of McCaskill’ recent works are large mixed media pieces that are created with layers of printed images that are mounted to wood panels and then enhanced with oil painting. However, for "Embracing ‘Ohi’a" he chose to create his limited edition titled "‘Ohi’a in the Mist" with a traditional reductive woodblock process which involves a number of color overprints made from a single block being cut away for each overprinted color.