John McLaughlin - Artist
John McLaughlin Painter, you can check out his website at www.drawinghermit.com
John is currently listed with online galleries: Busacca Fine Art Gallery, San Francisco The Brigham Galleries, Nantucket Ma. and The Robert Kidd Gallery, Birmingham Mi.
What fascinates you? I always have been fascinated by the way sunlight strikes objects. Both indoors and out. How quickly it moves and changes. The different colours of light from the early morning until late evening right before sunset. I am enthralled by the different emotional response it evokes. I can watch the sunlight like most people watch TV. I guess I’m easily entertained.
Your art education was…? None. I am a completely self taught artist. I’m not proud of this, it’s just I never had any desire to take art classes. I don’t know how art can be taught. All one could do is give support and supply materials, otherwise it would just be to encourage someone to be themselves.
What or who inspires your art? I get my inspiration most from nature. I love hiking and observing all the flowers and trees. What we do best here in Michigan is grow things so we have an abundance of trees and plant life. I also am inspired by other artists work that I see in museums, books, magazines and on-line art sites. I learn from and study many artists but some of my favourites are Matisse, Twombly, Doig, Klee, DeKooning.
Creative streaks do they come in waves for you? Creative streaks do come in waves for me. Although I make my small drawing/collages everyday, my larger work can take longer time periods between applications. Suddenly I get this creative flow and energy, then go at three or four canvases at a time for hours. Four or five hours seems to go by like twenty minutes. When I am done I feel completely exhausted, like I’ve just run a marathon or something. It sometimes takes a day to recover. Working like this from my subconscious, I often don’t remember making parts of my paintings.
How important do you think craftsmanship is to artistic creation? I think craftsmanship is needed only to the extent of what the artist has to “say”. If stick figures suffice for the meaning you want to convey, then that’s all it takes. If your portrait needs to look like a Rembrandt then you must do a little more practice drawing.
Do you have much contact with other artists? I have almost no contact with other artists. I have a severe hearing loss so I spend much time alone. Hence the web name drawing hermit.
Some say the lifespan of many “artists” post educationally is about five years, any thoughts on that? I don’t know who came up with that but it’s totally wrong. Artists can make good art for 1 year or 100 years. Some masterpieces where made when an artist was 20 and some at 90. We’re all different.
If you could have any piece of artwork in your personal collection, what would it be and why? I would take “The Window” by Henri Matisse. And this so happens to be at the Detroit Institute of Arts so every few months I go to visit it and regain inspiration. The incredible thing about this piece is that it is technically “wrong” in every way—color, perspective, composition, the furniture is even missing some pieces. But this masterpiece works perfectly.
All artists seem to have struggles, tell us about any you have had. I struggled the most with finally getting my work “out there” for people to see. Being a self taught artist I lacked the confidence until a friend of mine finally convinced me to quit throwing work away and start submitting it to shows. I’m better now.
What happens to works that “don’t work out”? Many of the works that don’t work out go to the trash bin. But I believe I do learn something from each piece I do. I’m by far my own toughest critic.
Do you aim to break the rules of basic composition, layout etc or do you ignore the “rules” and just create? I often try to break the traditional rules of composition. I don’t know if it can be done successfully. I believe I ignore most of the rules—I don’t think I even know most of them.
Musical influences, Okay this is about Visual Arts but most artists have favourite music they enjoy while working or just in general what about you? I love free form jazz. It makes my mind think differently. I often listen to this while I’m working although after, I never remember hearing any of it.
What can you say about your work that might not be evident to the viewer? I would say (or hope) my work needs to be studied over a period of time, long looking. Because the drawings and marks are small my work doesn’t photograph very well. They are better appreciated in person, up close.
Do you have a challenge knowing when a work is finished? I have a constant challenge knowing when work is finished. Sometimes even before I send out a sold painting I am adding marks. I often see sold work years later that I wish I could change. It’s just the nature of the way I work.
What about the role of titles with your work, some hate them others revel in them, what about you? I don’t like titles but I use them for identification, it gets too confusing otherwise. Some of my titles refer to the art work while others have nothing to do with it. The name just pops into my head. It’s funny that some people will have a whole different idea about a work of mine than what I do but that’s ok, I would never tell them differently.
What is the most unexpected response you’ve received from a viewer of your work? The best compliment I ever got about my work was overhearing a woman at an exhibit say about one of my pieces, “I really like this painting but I don’t know why”. I thought that was perfect.
Have you had much connection post sale with purchasers of your works? I sell a lot of work each week to gain more recognition and the response from my collectors is incredible. To correspond with people all over the world like this makes it all worthwhile.
Name a book or books, which may have inspired your work as an artist? “Art and Fear” by Ted Orland and David Bayles is required reading for any beginning artist.
Some say a measure of an artwork is the ability for it to hold a persons attention or cause the viewer to come back after an initial glance and become captivated by the work, is that so for your works or an intention of yours? This is absolutely so with my work. If not then I have failed. The longer you live with my work the more you will like it.
Is the making of art all it was “cracked up to be”? I think art and artist are the most misunderstood subject of our time. I really wouldn’t wish it upon anyone. Almost everything is going against you right from the beginning. From rejection to no income to criticism to being overly sensitive, when do the good times come? Artists have to do what we do, it’s who we are. I have a theory as to why many artists succumb to drugs, alcohol, etc. It’s because the sensitive antenna is always on—it’s great for creative making but there is no way to turn it off. This harmfully helps to turn it off awhile. To the general public the last thing we need is misunderstood art and strange acting artists.
Sociable and out there, or withdrawn or intense? Sociably withdrawn, shy and definetly out there would describe me quite well. I can’t help it.
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4 Responses to “John McLaughlin - Artist”
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John What materials do you use? Acrylic, oils or?
Great interview with especially good questions and I adore John’s answers. Reading him say he is ‘easily entertained’ made me laugh out loud with delight. I enjoy his work so much - my only regret is not being able to see it close up!
I am going to link up this interview on my blog, hoping that is ok with you?
Steve, I use acrylic and oil paint (the oil paint can only go over the acrylic). Graphite pencil, crayon and colored pencils. I occasionally use ink, tea stain and just about anything else that is at hand.
Loved your personal profile re the struggles of being a visual art. I feel a great empathy with your comments about alienation and how artists have that sensitivity antenna! I am a fellow visual artist and art teacher with 31 years experience. It is not easy but keep at it John. Your artwork is intriguing shows individuality.Remember we leave very little behind us once the curtains are pulled.