Jared:
Kinda personal I guess, but is there a particular way that you find helps express yourself in your art?
Like a certain way of painting or drawing? Or a technique-ish thing that helps bring you into your art?
Jon's Reply:
Thanks Jared for you interest in my work and great questions. Please feel free to continue hitting me up with inquiries because if you don't ask personal questions, you wont get personal answers.
Its no so much personal question as it is I don't really know how to answer it.. I think any piece of art you create is an extension of oneself... or unless it is totally for a commissioned piece and you have no connection to it and treat it as a job.... Alot of my photographic art, just happens.. I just act as a photojournalist and it comes out as best it can within the moments notice of it happening.... the art is in your subconcious and pops out in the image during the process of taking it...
To sound a little cliche, yes life inspires me to create. Especially the "feel good" happy pieces / paintings I have been creating... I love drawing skulls, death, spider webs and the likes... but unfortunately a lot of people don't buy those pieces. So i kinda steered away from them. I don't consider it selling out or not doing what i want to do artistically. I usually just do the more hardcore pieces for those types of clients or put them on my surfboards as that is the frame of mind I get into when I surf. . It does make me happy to do the smiling suns and fun waves because that is what surfing is to me after a session. It seems by my latest sales, that is what surfing is to others as well..
I think just practicing different styles and approaches to art will bring you into your art as per your question. It's just a constant pursue of finding yourself and your medium. I don't think artists wake up one day and say "I want to be an artist." I feel that it is something that drives you and it just starts to come out. Something that is constantly in the back of your mind and won't stop until the person puts it down on paper, takes the shot, sings the note, or does the action that ceases that feeling. Then the feeling of needing to improve it kicks in and that is a whole 'nother ball of wax!!!