DelawareScene: Still Life and Landscape: Oil Paintings by John Schisler @ Rehoboth Art League

Still Life and Landscape: Oil Paintings by John Schisler

February 13 through March 8, 2026

Opening Reception: Friday, February 13, 2026 (5pm-7pm)

I’m very fortunate that by chance my first painting lessons at age seventeen introduced me to the use of Maroger medium and the techniques of the Dutch Masters. My teacher, Nancy Lee Conrad, was a student of Jacque Maroger who studied the mediums of the old masters and developed what he believed was the same medium used by Titian, Rubens, and Rembrandt. It took me several years after this first class to appreciate the significance and history of this method. When I made the decision to pursue painting full time, I wanted to make sure my methods were as traditional as possible. This is why I make my own medium, black oil, varnish, and grind pigments into the black oil to make some of my paints.

My still life paintings don’t always start as a complete idea, rather they develop over the course of the painting. I prefer to paint my still life paintings from life rather than a photograph to better see shadows and highlights. I’ll set up a still life display of the main components in a shadow box with a spot light focusing on composition and color. As I’m working on the painting, new ideas come to me and I’ll make changes or add small details. I’m always looking for unique backgrounds, settings, and/or table tops that add more interest. I want the viewer to initially be drawn to my painting through the color, composition, or subject matter, and then the unique elements to hold their attention and possibly spark a memory or personal connection.

For the past couple of years my subjects have been classical still life but my interests vary widely. I look forward to once again challenging myself with wildlife, street scenes, and nautical subjects. No matter my current subject, I always want the painting that’s on my easel to be better than the last.