A Portrait of the Artist: John Hastie

The Azalea Festival at the Landon School in Bethesda, Maryland, which attracts thousands of visitors each year, will feature the work of Gaithersburg artist John Hastie.

Today through Sunday, May 1, Hastie and a number of his fellow painters, who are part of a group called the Montgomery County Plein Air Association, will be showcasing and selling their work in the school's gymnasium and also painting on-site in the Perkins Gardens on the Landon campus.

"Our group has over 100 members, and we show our work at local galleries. We show in places like the Yellow Barn Studio and Gallery in Glen Echo, The Activity Center at Boehrer Park, and also the Gaithersburg City Hall," said Hastie who is able to devote some of his time to art now that he works only part-time as a scientist.

"I consider myself semi-retired. I worked for the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) for over 30 years as a research chemist, and now I do contract-based work. The parallels between science and art are increasingly evident to me now. In art you have a different set of a problems and challenges each time you do a painting. The same is true in science when you are doing research."

When he is not studying how matter reacts to high temperatures, Hastie devotes himself to capturing local scenery in paint. He uses various media to paint different subjects, ranging from houses and barns to water scenery and figures, because he sees his art as a form of continuous experimentation and discovery.

"I have a bias toward landscape. Being from Australia, I like to spend a lot of time outdoors. I am not what they call a fair weather painter, but will paint in any weather. If it's raining, I just bring a big umbrella with me."

Although he occasionally paints from photographs, Hastie believes that direct participation with the environment has a subconscious effect on the way an artist renders a subject. He admires the work of Rembrandt and the Impressionists, particularly Monet, because of the way they treated light and their ability to use bold brushstrokes while still conveying a sense of realism.

"I use gouache, watercolor, pastel and oil paint, depending on the subject. If I am painting on-site, it is sometimes more convenient to do a watercolor sketch and then later develop the sketch into a painting. Watercolor requires less preparation and equipment in the field."

Hastie stumbled upon his talent by accident. No one in his family had a background in art. He never took art classes as a kid, nor did he study art formally during his youth. He found himself drawing to entertain himself because he spent a lot of time alone. Eventually he started going to museums to look at the work of other artists.

"When I was in high school, I specialized in science," said Hastie who grew up in the small Australian state of Tasmania and lived in Hobart, the capital and a port of call for research ships traveling to Antarctica.

"At the age of 16, I made the decision to pursue science instead of art, even though I was given the opportunity to pursue a career in teaching art. At the time, I believed that if I did not choose science, I could never return to it again. With art, I anticipated taking it up later in life and am now trying to make up for lost time .

Hastie sat for both the science and art matriculation exams to enroll at his local university in Hobart. His artwork was examined by renowned Australian artist, Max Angus. After successfully completing studies in chemistry, Hastie received an offer to do a post-doctorate degree at Rice University in Houston, Texas. He accepted and following several years at Rice, he moved to Maryland in 1969 to take on a research position at NIST.

"On early morning walks along the C&O Canal with my wife, I often scout out places to paint , particularly at Violets Lock ,Great Falls, and Seneca Lock where I have done many paintings."

Additional local spots where Hastie enjoys painting the outdoors are Washington Grove in Gaithersburg and Olde Towne Gaithersburg. He also paints from his travels to Australia.

"I've painted the Australian outback and the seashore. I've also painted mountains and seascapes in Tasmania, where I visit once a year."

In 2009, Hastie was a top 50 awardee in the annual Paint America Competition and in 2010, he received a similar award in the annual Paint the Parks Competition. In 2007, he received the Best in Show award in the Annual Spring GFAA show. In this year's juried competition, he won Second Place for an oil painting painted at Butler's Orchard.

A member of the Gaithersburg Fine Arts Association (GFAA), Hastie is currently showing two watercolors and two oil paintings in the 25th Annual GFAA Spring show, a juried exhibition at Kentlands Mansion through May 31, 2011. During the weekend of May 21 - 22, 2011, Hastie and a number of very active members of the group will be showing their work at the Yellow Barn Studio and Gallery in Glen Echo, Maryland.