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About
Hi, I'm Jaren Johnson,
From an early age, I felt like I was invisibly being pulled into the world of art. It was a place that just made sense to me, and I remember thinking that when I was engulfed in just sketching or creating a painting, it was a place in my head where I could always be myself. I didn't want to be too influenced by art teachers, and I was afraid that my natural flow would be interrupted, so I developed my own style, which felt natural and always my own. However, I did believe that there was always something great to learn from others, if I did not try to duplicate their technique.
Even at the age of 7, I would spend hours sketching animals, and my favorite, dinosaurs. I give credit to my mom for my artistic ability. She was great at pencil sketches and loved art. I remember how she always encouraged me to do my art. In elementary school, I entered local contests and won some awards, which was a lot of fun. In high school, the art classes were my favorite. Mr. Alan was my favorite
teacher at Alta High, who gave me a lot of encouragement to always use my talent in life. At the age of 21, I went to England where I met many local artists who helped keep the spirit of art alive. I would spend time drawing the old cities of England. Later in college, I remember being too afraid to follow my dreams in art, and listened to many who told me art could not be profitable. So, I decided to just keep it as a hobby. But I stayed in touch with the art world and with friends who were artists. I was friends with a man named Gene Yates, who was one that I really loved to watch paint. Early on, I studied oil under Bonnie Posselli, who was able to bring to life a freedom of expression out in my work. This was when the love of oil came alive in me. Then I dated a girl named Andrea Smith, whose dad was
Gary Smith, a well-known artist in Alpine Utah. I remember having great conversations with Gary that kindled my interest. But it was never enough to get me to get past my fear to go out into the difficult
world of trying to become an artist.
But inside me, the appreciation and love and passion for art continued to grow, and living in South Jordan, I became close friends with Darin Ashby. We were instant friends, and both started painting together sometimes until 4 in the morning, always with some amazing music playing in the background.
Darin was already on the road to success and was very well recognized locally in the world of pencil and was selling his amazing work. Darin was also studying under Frank Cavino, a well-accomplished classical academic painter and master teacher. Soon I was able to meet Frank, and we also became friends, and I enjoyed learning great things from him. At this time, a flood of what I would call inspiration came pouring into my mind. As fast as the ideas would rush in, I would capture them in my traveling sketch pad. It wasn’t uncommon for me to have 10 different paintings going at the same time, with hundreds of ideas just waiting to be brought to life.
All my artistic inspiration came to me naturally, and I embraced it with open arms. I started calling my creative ideas JJ's Mind Dream Art, but many people didn't understand my creative side and told me to stick to the norm - like painting portraits and landscapes. Hearing this was tough, but I refused to be discouraged. I felt the passion and drive, and I knew that I couldn't turn my back on it.
The only problem was that there never seemed to be enough time in the day. I had a full-time job and career in General Contracting and Construction Management, so for a few years, I had to spend a lot of late nights purposefully painting. I appreciate and love life and the beauty in everything, which is why I found myself interested in painting just about everything and anything - from landscapes and wildlife to people. My favorite thing to paint is my "Mind Dream" narrative work, which displays a wide range of colors and detail. I believe having a wide range of interests keeps me from getting bored. I love virtually any kind of art, and it shows in my paintings. I don't consider myself an artist, but rather a student. I'm a person who loves life and loves to bring what I see in my mind to the canvas. There is always an interesting story associated with each piece of work I create.
If you were to ask me about my style, I would say it's sloppy and tight. I like to start without a real plan and let the natural process take shape, without thinking too hard about it. My palette is a mess of colors, and I'm constantly mixing colors to find a new shade that will bring my work to life. I feel that having too many rules in the painting process ruins the fun. If I had any advice for aspiring artists, it would be to always be yourself and find your own style. We must be authentic even if someone does not like what we do. If there is one thing I love about art, it would be that it has no boundaries, and every original piece of work, regardless of the style and medium, is a special print of how someone views the world. We must all try to appreciate all art, because it truly is God showing us who we are.
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Email: jj2jjartgallery@gmail.com
Phone: 801-842-6784