Jon Summers, Artist

 

Hello and welcome to the 70th 3 Art Questions With Jackson interview with the amazing painter Jon Summers. I first came across Jon's work in his show Seasons at Anderson O'Brien Fine Art in Omaha while on an art road trip with my Dad. My Dad and I both loved the show and I have been paying attention to everything he does on his Instagram since then. I love the large scale and the amazing colors! His answers to my questions were thoughtful and interesting and I think you will agree. I feel like Jon and I have a similar approach to making art. Thank you for reading! (Website: Jon Summers Art / Instagram: @jon_summers_art (Photos 1, 3, 4 and 5 courtesy of the artist, photo 2 from @artworldexploration)

Jackson: Were you interested in art as a child or did you have an experience that made you an artist?

Jon: I have always been interested in art. The art I did as a child was very different, though. As a kid, I mostly drew trucks and cartoon strips. I thought I would be a draftsmen or an architect or maybe a commercial artist. I went to college thinking that's what I would study. During my first year at Kansas City Art Institute, I was encouraged to try lots of different mediums. This is when I started to really enjoy painting.

Jackson: How did you arrive at using abstract colors as your primary way of making art? Does it have conceptual meaning for you as well?

Jon: My first paintings were very layered and textured. I sometimes incorporated modeling paste and cheese cloth. I was really enjoying the process and these early painting were pure abstraction. My sketchbook drawing, however, were of landscapes. I was encouraged by a professor to get out and draw things in nature. I ended up drawing a lot of construction sites focusing on the geometric shapes I saw. These drawings began to influence my paintings and I started focusing on the distance between objects, shapes and shadow. I began to prioritize foreground, middle ground and background. The more I painted, the more I learned about color and the relationships between colors. My current work is still largely about the process but now incorporates an awareness of the landscape. My canvases combine vibrant colors with my interpretation of what can be seen in nature. My hope is that viewers are drawn into my landscapes in a way that feels familiar yet completely undefined. 

 

Jackson: If you could meet any artist living or dead, who would it be and why?

Jon: As an artist, I believe it's important to continue to learn and grow so I am continually looking at the way in which some of the artists who came before me handled spacial relationships. I have been drawn to the Impressionists, my current favorite being the father of Impressonism, Claude Monet. I would like to share my admiration for his work with him and I would like to learn more about his day to day, his process and the materials he used. 

Brenda Ward, Artist

Hello and welcome to the 69th 3 Art Questions With Jackson interview! This time I interviewed the super talented painter Brenda Ward. Brenda's work is completely different than mine but something about her way of painting has stuck with me and resonated with me from the first time I saw her paintings at Hopkins Center for the Arts with my Dad, and I've enjoyed everything I have seen since. Her answers are fantastic and interesting - thank you for reading! (Photos 1 and 3 courtesy of the artist, 2 and 4 from the Instagram I run with my Dad: @artworldexploration, Artist website:  www.brendajwardfineart.com / Instagram: @bjwardfineart

Jackson: Do you feel you were born with artistic skills? Or did something happen in your life that made you want to learn to paint realistically so well? You are very talented.

Brenda: Thank you Jackson for your encouragement and the opportunity to share my life and art!

I do have a few artists on my family, however it was my mother who taught me to draw the human figure at the age of five, which gave me all the confidence to move forward. All throughout school I was known as the artist that was enlisted to make school posters and enter competitions. I grew up in Sacramento and received a bachelor of arts degree from California State University, Sacramento. I then worked as a commercial artist, book cover artist, and muralist. With the encouragement of my husband, I attended the Atelier Studio Program of Fine Art In Minneapolis and happily returned to my artistic roots: painting in oils. I thank the Atelier for teaching me French Academic Drawing with American Impressionism to say that I'm "classically trained". My favorite subjects to paint, that still remains to this day, are portraiture and figurative works. 

Jackson: What part, if any, does religion play in your artwork? Do you see it as subject, metaphor or neither? The first painting my Dad and I saw of yours was an Adam and Eve type of scene.

Brenda: Yes, very much so.  I'm a Christian and every opportunity that I can get to share my faith through art is a blessing. I've completed a 3 paintings series on Adam & Eve from Genesis and a painting entitled Faithful & True from Revelation, you can also see glimpses of that theme through my other works. I also aspire to bring light and beauty and (hopefully) a story with each painting, especially in the Card Series, and a painting called AI Reflection.

Jackson: If you could meet any artist living or dead, who would it be and why?

Brenda: I had to stop and think about about this question. Joaquin Sorolla or John Singer Sargent comes to mind and I would follow them around and watch them paint, ask why they are using that technique or color, how to capture the light and mostly learn to paint more "painterly" by using loose brush strokes! I would like to capture the correct facial features, yet have the rest of the painting in loose but accurate application of paint. I attended a Rembrandt collection at Minneapolis Institute of Art and noticed that his earlier works were very realistic and so were his later works, yet painted very differently with a heavy impasto technique. Never stop learning, I'm a work in progress.

Dyani White Hawk, Artist and Curator (Repost)

Hello! After encountering one of Dyani White Hawk's pieces at Joslyn Art Museum in Omaha on an art road trip and noticing how much she has going on in the past four years, I am reposting my 2020 interview with Dyani with her permission. It was during covid lockdown so it is really interesting to look back at it now. I hope you enjoy it! She's great! (Artist photo by David Ellis for the Walker Art Center, photos 2 and 3 from the @artworldexploration Instagram I run with my Dad, photo 4 courtesy of the artist) Website: www.dyaniwhitehawk.com Instagram: @dwhitehawk

Jackson: What inspired you to become an artist? Did you have a specific experience?

Dyani: I've been making things, drawing, and creating since I was little. Making and creating has always been my favorite thing to do! But I didn't always understand that his meant I was an artist. My mom actually used to tell me quite frequently as a teen and young adult, "Dyani, you're an artist, and one day you'll believe me." It wasn't until I sold my first painting as an undergrad that I really started to believe her and truly understand that making art was more than something I like to do, but something I was, something I am. 

Jackson: Has the global pandemic impacted how you make work? Has it affected your shows? I had some things postponed. 

Dyani: YES! The pandemic has prevented me from being in the studio. I had a show in New York City the first week of March. By the time I got home the pandemic was really starting to hit the States and we were all adjusting to the idea that we were going to have to start isolating ourselves. I came home, wrapped up a few things for my exhibition currently up at the Plains Art Museum and then start gathering supplies and getting ready to stay at home. 

I live with my mother and her husband who are both in their late 60s and have pre-existing medical conditions that place them in the high risk category. Because of this our entire family has had to practice extreme caution and focus on maintaining the health of everyone in our home. I have not worked in the studio since the second week of March!

We have had to focus on keeping our folks safe and at home, which means me and my husband have taken on all of the errands that need to be done outside the home as well as sanitizing all groceries and supplies that come into our home. In addition to this, we were faced with the transition to distance-learning for our first grader and senior in high school. Then, our lease ended in May which means we had to move! Finding a new home, packing and moving our multi-generational home became an all encompassing effort for a few months.

I have had to maintain a lot of administrative style work from home, on the computer. Unfortunately, the only artwork I have made since the pandemic hit was finishing a pair of moccasins that were already 75% done and making a necklace for my mom on Mother's Day. Now that we are moved and slowly settling into our new home I will be working on finding a way to start getting back into the studio slowly and safely.

As for shows, yes, it has. As I mentioned, I have a solo show up at the Plains Art Museum right now. This show was supposed to open in March but the museum just recently reopened with social distancing practices in place. I'm not sure how many people will get to see the exhibition, especially considering how much travelling is still a risk. It is up through October 3rd though so hopefully people will still have an opportunity to experience the show!

I had a residency that was scheduled for April that had to be postponed until sometime in the future when things of that sort can begin again. I had an important speaking opportunity at a conference cancelled, as well as a couple of museum acquisitions of my work that that had to be cancelled due to budget freezes. I am grateful though that I still have a few exhibition opportunities scheduled far enough into the future that they are still scheduled to proceed as originally planned. A number of acquisitions have still gone through despite the pandemic as well.

 

Jackson: If you could meet any artist living or dead, who would it be and why?

Dyani: This is a tough question! There are so many artists I'd love to speak to, both living and dead. SO many!

I thought about this question for awhile last night and got excited about the various people I'd love to talk shop and life with. But what I landed on was this. I would like to speak to someone in the past, from within my family lineage that was an accomplished beadwork or quillwork artist. I don't have any immediate family members to turn to in this way. But I am certain there would have been someone in the past. Whomever that woman is, I'd love to visit with her!

Surelle Strike, Artist

 

Hello and welcome to the 68th 3 Art Questions With Jackson interview! This time I interviewed the super skilled painter Surelle Strike. I have admired her paintings since the first time I saw them at Artistry in Bloomington, MN. She keeps getting better at what she does and I am pleased that she agreed to be interviewed. I think that you will enjoy her answers! Thank you for reading! (All images courtesy of the artist / Instagram: @surelle.strike.art / Website: surellestrikeart.com)

Jackson: Do you feel like you were born as an artist? Or did something specific happen that put you on an artistic path?

Surelle: I suppose I was definitely born with the artist gene, when I was little I was always drawing or doodling. I remember one of the reasons I loved going to my grandparents' house was because they had a printer, and I was always allowed to help myself to as much printer paper as I wanted to draw on. I have always had a hard time thinking of myself as an artist though, thanks to that nasty Imposter Syndrome. Even today I have a hard time occasionally, even though making art is currently my full-time job! That change happened last fall, when I moved. I used to run an in-home childcare, and among other things, my new (130 year old) house was hard to get approved for licensing. I decided to take the leap into making art my career! Currently I paint, take commissions, and teach a lot of classes, being a full-time artist is a smorgasbord of different jobs.

Jackson: How did you become such a skillful painter? Are you self-taught or did you go to art school?

Surelle: I guess I'd say I'm a little of both. I took a handful of classes here and there, and still take workshops when I can. But much of the painting I do now has been self taught. I went to a small high school and didn't get to take as many art classes as I wanted, but in my senior year I took a drawing class at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design. Then I went to a semester of art school at the Columbus College of Art and Design in Ohio. I took a handful of fundamental classes, but decided after one semester to drop out of school. I got a big fat F in Color Theory, and for the longest time thought this was because I was "bad at color". I resigned myself to having to do art like graphite drawing, or photography. (Later I grew up and realized the more likely reason for me failing the class was the fact that it was 8am on a Monday morning, and I didn't show up as often as I should have...) In 2018 I took a leap out of my comfort zone and began painting...in black and white watercolor...eventually I decided it wouldn't hurt to try another color and I slowly began painting in color. I worked first with watercolor, then gouache, and in 2019 I gave acrylics a try, finally in 2023 I started using oil paints. All of this was a lot of trial and error on my own part, but I think learning on your own gives you a lot of confidence in your ability to problem solve, and come up with solutions for difficulties you'll encounter.

Jackson: If you could meet any artist living or dead, who would it be and why?

Surelle: An artist I'd love to meet is Alfonse Mucha. It's probably a really popular answer, but I love the way Mucha paints and draws women, I love their graceful hands and strong shoulders. The way he mixes illustration and reality, as well as his flowing fabrics and colors. As far as living painters, I'd love to meet Rebecca Leveille-Guay. She captures both feminine power and vulnerability, sometimes with a snarky sense of humor that I really appreciate. Her women are powerful and beautiful , and I am so in love with how she paints hands - something I love to paint myself!

Melissa Benedek, Artist

Hello and welcome to the 67th 3 Art Questions With Jackson interview! This time I interviewed the inspiring New York City based painter Melissa Benedek. We discovered each other on Instagram and I am a really big fan of her work and the colors she uses in her paintings. I believe you will really enjoy her answers! Thank you for reading! (All images courtesy of the artist / Instagram: @melissabenedek_art / Website: melissabenedek.com)

Jackson: Did you always want to be an artist? Or did something happen later in life that put you on this path?

Melissa: Art was something I was drawn to growing up. I was exposed to it at a young age, being my father owned an art gallery in Soho in New York City. It was my comfort, my outlet, my vice, it soothed me. I went to art school at a young age, but it was always more like a hobby. I painted for years but again as a hobby. When Covid happened I was stuck in my apartment in New York City and started to paint again. Timing is everything, and I am painting full-time now.

Jackson: How did you develop your style? How do you know when one of your paintings is right or complete?

Melissa: My style has been ever evolving. It has always been full of textures and movement. I am drawn to beautiful color palettes and am considered a colorist. I am an intuitive painter, so when I paint, there is no plan. I pick my color palette and am led by the music that fills my studio, I paint from within. I take breaks to observe it for a while. After staring at it throughout the day, I see what needs to be added or changed and continue until completion.

Jackson: If you could meet any artist living or dead, who would it be and why?

Melissa: That's a tough question. I'm fascinated by a few different artists, and they are all so very different. Definitely Cy Twombly, Willem de Kooning, Jackson Pollock, and Georgia O'Keefe. Each one of these artists have such a distinct style of painting, and are also relatable. I would love to get to know how their minds work and the type of personalities they are.

Kei Gratton, Artist (Repost)

In honor of Kei Gratton's new show at Gallery 360 in Minneapolis, I am reposting my 2019 interview with Kei with images from the exhibition. Thank you for reading! (All images courtesy of the artist / Instagram: @keigratton / Website: keigratton.com)

Jackson: Does nature influence your paintings? I think of outside when I see them.

Kei: Absolutely. I like to think of my paintings as internal landscapes, reflections from within. I grew up in the woods and spent endless hours pretending I was a pioneer living off the land. Spirit animals are my muse and I am always collecting stones...they are timeless sacred objects and their magical properties are certainly present in my paintings. I also love the female body and how she mirrors so much of nature's landscape. If you look closely there's a lot of female imagery in my "landscapes". It's all so playful and secretive.

Jackson: When and how did you first become interested in art? Do you think you were born with it?

Kei: I studied Art Education and a lot of my friends were serious studio majors. They ALL went off to get their Master's degrees and I went to Germany and got married. But it was there that I found my voice as an artist and was given the opportunities to develop myself as an exhibiting working artist. I had my first one person show in a really great gallery in Hamburg when I was 27 years old. I sort of felt like a fraud because I didn't follow protocol. Crazy. Was I born with it? I was born connected to another mystical realm. It's like I am always searching to find a way to describe it on canvas or paper...sometimes I feel like I nailed it. Sometimes.

Jackson: If you could meet any artist living or dead, who would it be and why?

Kei: George Raftopolous. He's a Greek/Australian contemporary abstract artist. I'm rather obsessed. And he's funny. Humble. He inspired the Emperor in my tarot paintings for sure. One day he started following me on Instagram and I just dropped. 

Klaire Lockheart, Artist

 

Hello and welcome to the 66th 3 Art Questions With Jackson interview! This time I interviewed the super fun and talented artist Klaire Lockheart. I discovered her art on an art road trip and have been paying close attention since. She is always up to something interesting and her answers were fantastic. I think you will agree! Thank you for reading! (All images courtesy of the artist, except Judith Beheading Holofernes: Uffizi Gallery / Instagram: @klairelockheart  / Website: klairelockheart.com)

Jackson: How did you find yourself on an artistic path in life? Are you self taught or formally trained?

Klaire: Despite being born fully-formed out of the head of Frida Kahlo, I have no natural talent as an artist. For the way I paint, it takes immense time, effort, and practice. I didn't learn how to paint with oils until I attended graduate school at the University of South Dakota, and I owe a massive amount of gratitude to my incredible painting professors Chelsey Wood and Heidi Hogden. I'm also thankful for my art history instructors Carol Geu and Sarak Sik. After I earned my MFA in Painting in 2016, I've been continually learning and growing as an artist by observing art in person, reading about artists from the past, plus good ol' trial and error. 

Jackson: How did you settle on your style? Are you a people watcher/observer?

Klaire: When I paint dudes in man caves, I purposefully paint in an historic style so my finished artwork looks as though it could be long in a museum packed with traditional 19th century canvases generated by European men. This was an era when women weren't permitted equal opportunities in education and were effectively banned from studying art, particularly the human form.

My brodalisque paintings are a combination of a masculine "bro" posed like a classical "odalisque", and I depict contemporary men using techniques developed centuries ago. I devote months, and sometimes years, building layers of oil paint to create depth, shadow, and details for each work of art. With each new painting, I spend more and more time preparing the compositions. I'll take notice of how men present themselves "out in the wild", whether it is a local college campus, the Sturgis motorcycle rally, or anywhere in-between. I use this real life inspiration when I stage my compositions.

Jackson: If you could meet any artist living or dead, who would it be and why?

Klaire: If I had a time machine and could speak 17th century Italian, I would love to meet Baroque artist Artsemisia Gentileschi. She created epic paintings of strong women using dramatic light and shadow. Her subjects not only look like actual, not idealized women, but they also have agency. When I visited the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, I was incredible lucky and got to see Judith Beheading Holofernes in person.

This massive painting is set in a dark room, and Artemesia depicted a pair of women dressed in blue and gold as they pin their oppressor to a bed draped in white sheets so they can hack off his head with a sword. Regardless of the violent scene, I was blown away by Artemisia's work and I'd get out of observing her paint. I'm curious if my approaches to painting dramatic shadows are similar to her's, and if we differ I'd like to pick up a few painting tips. Additionally, judging from Artemisia's letters, I get the feeling she was a bit snarky. I bet it would be fun to chat with her!