"Blue Heritage"

Oil & cold wax

20"x20"

2016

ARTIST STATEMENT
Color is everything! I love how the palette of a painting sets the mood for the narrative within. Creating my paintings using many layers of vivid colors, collage elements, mark-making tools and whole body movements is a joyful experience for me, and I like to think that the viewer feels that joy when observing my work. I keep this quote by Mark Rothko always in mind: "A painting is not a picture of an experience, it IS an experience."
When painting with an attitude of playfulness, I find myself less concerned with the rules of art-making and more connected to my own essence. I easily become smitten with the lusciousness of a color, the curve of a line or the impact of patterns on the canvas. Working intuitively, I respond to the last brushstroke with the next one, building of layers of colors, marks and washes that provide depth for the final piece. I have no preconceived notion of how piece may turn out; each painting follows its own path to completion.

These elements of wonder and surprise keep me coming back to the studio each day - and sometimes I feel as if I am just hanging on to the brush for the ride!

ARTIST BIO
Although Peg Belcastro was born and raised in south-central Pennsylvania, living in Alaska from 2002 to 2012 deeply influenced the way she approaches her art. It was in those extraordinary surroundings that she discovered the significance of letting go and getting out of her own way that is so vital for tapping into the creative flow. "The people who live in Alaska have a particular way of thinking which is essential for surviving in the far north. It's the attitude of courage to be true to yourself, to honor your passions and to live life to the fullest - no matter what anyone else thinks," she says.

Peg knew as a young girl that she would follow a path in the arts, and she sold her first painting at age fifteen. Later, she studied ceramics at Bloomsburg University and enjoyed creating pottery and sculpture for a number of years. But it was during her time in Alaska that she once again returned to her love of color and painting.

Bold brushstrokes, exuberant colors and fresh mark-making became the hallmarks of her pieces. After retiring early from a career in real estate which included designing and building homes, she now dedicates her time to artistic exploration in her painting studio.

Over the last twenty-one years she has participated in juried shows as well as solo, group and invitational exhibitions in Pennsylvania, Alaska, Virginia, New Jersey, Michigan and Vermont.

Peg is also a Reiki Master and a musician who plays the African marimba in an all-woman band, Mazimba.

Memberships
Art Association of Harrisburg, Harrisburg, PA
Carlisle Arts Learning Center, Carlisle, PA
Perry County Council of the Arts, Newport, PA
Perkins Center for the Arts, Collingswood, NJ
Creative York, York, PA

Press
"I Have No Idea Where a Painting's Gonna Go" - Video about painting during the pandemic on ABC News, Harrisburg, PA, February 2021
Bob's Art Blog: "Observations and Experiences" at AAH in the Burg Magazine, Harrisburg, PA, January 2021
Artist in Focus in the Burg Magazine, Harrisburg, PA, February 2020

Find her on Instagram @pegbelcastro and on her website, www.PegBelcastro.com