Jon Hassler paintings

Remembering Jon Hassler: A Multi-Talented Artist and Novelist

It's been 18 months since Jon Hassler passed away. While Jon was well known for his literary prowess, many people are not aware that he was an artist before he became a novelist. He spent his school years teaching English at high schools and colleges, and during the summers, he was a regular on the art fair circuit. He began writing relatively late in life—his first novel, Staggerford, was published when he was 44—but he always enjoyed painting whenever he had the chance.

Much like his books, Jon's paintings exhibit recurring themes: rural landscapes, long light, complex skies, and almost always a strong vanishing point element. In fact, they are almost exactly what you would expect if you've read any of his novels or short stories.

We came to know Jon five years before he succumbed to complications from progressive supranuclear palsy. Jon and his wife, Gretchen, entrusted us with 22 of his original paintings (pictured above left, 'Snowfall', 20"x16", oil on canvas; pictured above right, 'Road to Johnson's Farm I', 16"x12", oil on canvas), all of which were painted in the late 1980s. These remarkable originals are now available for sale, with a portion of each sale being donated to CurePSP (www.psp.org).