Jayde Atchison // Staff Writer
When I look at John Pachkowsky’s pieces, I notice something new each time. At first glance, a tree in the corner of his drawing is just that—a tree with some gnarled roots. With a double-take the tree now holds a snarling face. Upon the third look, the image comes to life with hidden mouths, eyes, swords and armour appearing. Intricate details are a defining feature of Pachkowsky’s work. A second-year CapU IDEA student, Pachkowsky drew often as a teenager, but due to his frustration with imperfections, he bid farewell to drawing and threw aside his pens. It took almost twelve years for him to reignite his passion and begin drawing again.
Pachkowsky explores a variety of mediums through the IDEA program, including oil, acrylic, and digital painting, but using ink is his preferred method. “You know when you come home from a vacation and the moment you step over the threshold is the sweetest moment of full-body relief? That is what going back to ink feels like,” he revealed.
His art is macabre: sci-fi goblins, wizards and knights lurk within his drawings. When asked why he stays in this genre Pachkowsky explained, “A lot of people put out [art] that is very warm, a softer side of the human experience or very colourful. Whenever I do stuff in that realm, it feels like I am wearing someone else’s clothes, and they don’t fit very well”.
Reach out to John Pachkowsky on Instagram at @salt.the.earth.