Carmine Magazine

Carmine Magazine: What drives you to create? Also, what inspires you and your work?
JPerkins: Good music always makes me want to create. I am not a musician in any sense, but I can feel music like most of us. I am currently fond of hair-metal, corny, oldschool, hair-metal. … My work is inspired by my fellow students at the university I am attending and the art by which the internet provides me. Also, graffiti makes me strive to be a better artist.

CM: Were you formally trained in art or self taught? Do you think it has helped you or hindered you?
JP: I have made art since I was in grade school. My first art class, however, was my first day in college. I feel like it definitely gave me an advantage over the other students I was surrounded by, but now in my senior year in a studio art program, I think that my now formal art training is starting to fail me and I’m only clawing my way through my classes to get out of it as soon as possible. I don’t feel emotionally creative anymore. I don’t feel like I am praying with my art anymore to the One who gave me my hands to create the art with. Formal art training is only helping me by quickening a skill development I could have trained myself to do in a longer time period.

CM: What mediums do you work in the most? Do you have a particular brand that you love working with? Why do you use them?
JP: I am a watercolorist now. Thank you University of North Texas and Millie Giles. It’s a beautiful paint. Windsor-Newton artist’s Watercolours are beautiful and rich and lovely. Crayola tray palettes are choice too, except those aren’t watercolor. Also, Bic pens, they are tried and true.

CM: At what point did you realize that creating was going to be a large part of your life?
JP: The day I completed my first sketchbook and needed a new one.

CM: If there was one style of art that you could take up, what would it be?
JP: Architecture. I’d want to design, build, and do all of it. Except for the digging. I hate digging. (oh yeah, math sucks too)

CM: How do you deal with creator’s (or writer’s) block?
JP: I don’t, I just wait it out. (isn’t that what we all do?)

CM: How do you prepare for art shows where your work will be shown?
JP: I have several showings lined up for the fall, I am preparing them by keeping a common thought in my head while preparing each piece. Other than that, I just let it happen, If the showing sucks, then I’ll do better next time. I don’t deal with stress well at all so I try to not give it to myself.

CM: How do you define you style? Does it represent an inner you or something completely different?
JP: I’d like to say that my art is about the things I wish actually were real. On the other hand, it is also about the things that I have not yet faced, emotionally and spiritually. I tend to confront my life through art first, and then actually later.

CM: What kind of environment do you need to create in?
JP: Preferably well-lit as i am hard of seeing in the dark. Also, fun music. Metallica should not be present. Even better if other people are working there on art too.

CM: What does your workspace look like? (Pictures or a description work for this one)

Notice the floor! I do have an easel that is stowed away at the moment in my closet, because I have learned that I can draw in bed, and paint flat on the floor.

CM: What was your worst experience with art? And the best?
JP: My worst experience with art is when my Painting 2 instructor at the time told me that my art wasn’t fine-art and was more like something you’d see on a HALLMARK card. I left the classroom and went to work early that day. A year later I realized that, people who get their art on birthday cards get paid. So i’m okay with that, but at the time, knowing that its not what you say but how you say it, my teacher was a super-jerk and humiliated me among my peers. This was the last time I cared about feedback I got in a classroom critique.

CM: What movies, books, music, etc get your creative juices flowing the most?
JP: Movies - Amelie, Royal Tenebaums, and their soundtracks for music. I also have been digging the Wincing The Night Away album by The Shins.

CM: Do you think the internet, technology, media, etcetera are helping or destroying the art world?
JP: Definitely helping. Have you SEEN iron man? That was awesome. Also, the internet has exposed me to more art than someone of my yearly income could have ever been exposed to, say, 50 years ago. I am an educated human being thanks to the internet.

CM: Aside from art what do you do with your time? Is there anything else that drives you or that you’re passionate about?
JP: Awkwardly enough, I’m not like a lot of women today in the art world. I am passionate about domestication, and about being a stay-at-home mom in the near future, perfect world willing. I’m not joking either. I think the day that I can grow my own tomato plant with giant beefeater tomatos on it and be able to to feed them to my children, will be the day that I have achieved the greatest level of art I could hope for.

CM: Do you have any upcoming shows, events, releases, etc. you would like our readers to know about?
JP: Anyone in Denton, Texas? message me and I’ll tell ya about it! Otherwise, leave me some nice words on my flickr! I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Find JPerkins work at these places on the web:
jauxwee on Flickr

Some artwork from JPerkins: