Today we’d like to introduce you to Fen Rascoe.
Hi Fen, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Like most artists, I grew up drawing all the time. In high school, I took art classes too young and immature to take it seriously. In college, I took several oil painting and watercolor classes mainly to keep my gpa above water – again not giving art any processional or serous consideration.
After graduation in 1990 it was off to the professional work grind world I went later to marry and have two children.
It was around 2009/2010 that I began hiding from kids and wife in my basement during homework help time. After running out of “home repair” projects, I found my old brushes and paint and began playing around again with little seriousness. After attending a local art council fundraiser and seeing some bids on some of the paintings, I told myself that I could do that.
Back to the basement I went and the paint and brushes were put to more serious use. Later my work began appearing in local art council shows and various other events.
A retired doctor and full time plein air oil painter, Dr Fred Saunders, had heard about my work and approached me at a social event telling me I had to get outside if I wanted to be good. I didn’t see how that could be possible as I had never really heard of plein air painting. He was persistent, and I reluctantly joined him one day after he brought along an old 1970’s tv dinner tray and his daughter’s old piano song sheet stand for my makeshift plein air easel. Since that day I’ve painted outside every chance I have.
Now I’m represented by ArtSource Fine Art in Raleigh, City Art Gallery in Greenville and Sam and Winston in Manteo. I have won several awards and have been published in different magazines and news articles. Ribbons are great, but the highest honor is having a painting purchased.
In 2020, I was featured on the outdoor channel’s The Obsession of Carter Andrews. This year I will be a faculty member at the 13th Annual Plein Air Convention and Expo in Branson, Missouri and have had a few pieces of my work featured in Plein Air Magazine.
This week I’ll be participating in the juried plein air competition Plein Air on the Teche in New Iberia, La and in June will be participating in Glouster Invitational Plein Air Festival.
I teach several workshops a year. My next one will be Plein Air Fall Harvest in Edenton, NC in October. Details are at www.fenrascoe.com .
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Many struggles along the way balancing family and a day job until the art took off. The art and plein air business is highly competitive. It’s one foot in front of the other in this business and not for the faint of heart.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
My work could be considered contemporary Impressionism. I paint alla prima which is wet on wet from life all in one session.
I am a plein air painter at heart, but balance that with studio painting as well concentrating on landscapes, seascapes, figurative, etc. Even though I paint across the state and country, the majority of my work reflects the backroads, farms, swamps, beaches and hunting/fishing life or Eastern NC.
Who else deserves credit in your story?
Dr Fred Saunders was instrumental in getting me outside and introducing me to plein air painting. He has since deceased, but will always remain one of my mentors.
After deciding to dive into oil painting head first and not look back, I sought instruction from California impressionists Ken Auster and Randy Sexton among others. Ken and Randy’s loose and thick paint approach resonated with me, and I took every class I could from them both.
Pricing:
- 700 – 7000
Contact Info:
- Website: https://fenrascoe.com
- Instagram: Fen_Rascoe_Studio
- Facebook: Fen Rascoe Studio
