Today we’d like to introduce you to Eric Leonard Jones.
Eric Leonard, we’d love to hear your story and how you got to where you are today both personally and as an artist.
Raised in a small town in Georgia. Most known for its high school football team. There were only two art galleries in the entire city. But there I learned the basics of art and learned how to paint from excellent teachers.
I moved to California to pursue acting and an art career. The first step was to get my master’s degree in painting, which I accomplished. The next was to sell art and entertain, which I am accomplishing as we speak.
My work is an accumulation of my past choices. It deals with being in, coming out, and dealing with depression. My process is creating an accurate portrait to the skin tone, to the bone structure, then distorting the image in multiple ways. My depressions come from fear of a god who punishes my imperfections. But the process of distorting my paintings was a healing mechanism. Painting the portraits accurately was a mirror of trying to be perfect. The distorting of the portraits was god speaking to me saying, “Destroy that wrong idea of what life is. Life is not about being perfect. It is about knowing God through my imperfections. Fighting the mental battle has been a struggle, but I keep learning new ways to become strong.
We’d love to hear more about your art. What do you do? Why? And what do you hope others will take away from your work?
My work is an accumulation of my past choices. It deals with being in, coming out, and dealing with depression. My process is creating an accurate portrait to the skin tone, to the bone structure, then distorting the image in multiple ways. My depressions come from fear of a god who punishes my imperfections. But the process of distorting my paintings was a healing mechanism. Painting the portraits accurately was a mirror of trying to be perfect. The distorting of the portraits was god speaking to me saying, “Destroy that wrong idea of what life is. Life is not about being perfect. It is about knowing God through my imperfections. Fighting the mental battle has been a struggle, but I keep learning new ways to become strong.
What I hope people take away from my art is enjoyment. The peculiar thing about my work is that the audience seems to understand my inner dialogue without me saying anything about the work. They seem to get the message through the image.
I create because I can. I create because I enjoy creating. I create because it is apart of me. It is my way of speaking to the world in a serious manner. I joke a lot person to person, but my art shows a side that not too many people see. It is a side more contemplative and deep.
What you should know about my work is, there is always a before and after. I always paint an accurate portrait and then distort the piece. Each piece is a part of my life learning process as well as a painting process.
Do current events, local or global, affect your work and what you are focused on?
I do not think the role of an artist has changed since the 1920s. Before the 20’s art was about illustration and commissions, mainly. After that time art was about the individual and their personal contribution to the art world, this philosophy still remains strong today. Each artist has their particular voice, their particular message, and a particular audience. All of us, artist or not, has to be true to themselves about any issue. The role of an artist is, to be honest with himself and his audience.
Most national or international events do not affect my process much. I usually plan my series years in advance. I have learned to “stay the course ” and not let what’s going on affect my direction. When there is an effect, I make notes and wait until I have completed my current work before I move on to something new.
I remember when September 11th happened. I saw so many artists were painting the towers falling and the planes crashing. I had the urge to follow suit. I had to deny that urge and continue to just make really good looking portraits. That was my goal.
Do you have any events or exhibitions coming up? Where would one go to see more of your work? How can people support you and your artwork?
People can support my work by coming to my art shows. The community is one of the most important aspects of being an artist. The audience is absolutely required for art to thrive. Stay connected to me on Instagram @ericjones33, [email protected]. Using these platforms, you can either see me on the interwebs or come to my shows. Also, check out my website www.ericleonardjones.com.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.ericleonardjones.com
- Phone: 7147243629
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: @ericjones33
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ericleonardjones
- Twitter: https://twitter.com@ericljones
Image Credit:
Eric Leonard Jones
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