Today we’d like to introduce you to John Leon.
Hi John, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
I loved art and thought of myself as an artist since childhood. At Walnut Hills High School, I became enamored with sculpture in particular, but I thought it would only be a lifelong hobby. I started college in pre-med, became a respiratory therapist, and entered nursing school in pursuit of becoming a nurse anesthetist (a job with relatively short hours and high pay, perfect for someone who wants time to make art). But between junior and senior year, I met two sculpture mentors, Walter Driesback, who taught me wood and stone carving, and Jay Bolotin, who taught me mold making and casting. Both of these men encouraged and, more importantly, inspired me. So, in 1980, two weeks into what, for me, was the drudgery of nursing school, I decided to quit and “become” a sculptor, having no idea what that meant as far as making a career and living. I continued working part-time as a respiratory therapist to support myself for about six years. I began by showing my work at art fairs and sidewalk shows and at Greek Festivals (because some of my subject matter came from my Greek ancestry–my parents came here from the village of Geraki in 1955).
Loving sculpture, I immersed myself in its heroes and history (a lot of time in libraries and art museums), absorbing styles and techniques to the extent that I am facile and confident in a wide range from tight realism (like portrait busts and figures) to non-objective abstract work.
I gradually started putting my work in galleries and getting commissions. It’s a challenging way to make a living, but I have been doing it since the late 80’s.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Making a living selling your own artwork is difficult–no denying that. There were the early years of schlepping sculptures and pedestals (and portable baby cribs!) around to art fairs all over the country, and there were the trials and errors of learning new techniques. And always, there is the financial uncertainty of what pieces, if any, will sell and what commissions, if any, will come along after the ones you are working on are finished.
I’ve had to keep a lot of plates spinning: I taught stone carving at the Cincinnati Art Academy, I teach sculpting one day a week and on occasional weekend seminars at my studio now, and I do occasional mold-making and casting work for other artists. But the vast majority of my income comes from selling my own creations and by doing commissioned work. I’ve really come to enjoy doing commissions. The amount of my own creativity that I can put into them varies greatly. My parameters can be very specific, like a portrait bust, for example, or they can be very loose–say, for example, make us something to inspire positivity or mourning or to convey our organization’s mission. Some of my very best and most satisfying pieces have come from merging the desires of my clients with my own creativity and abilities.
But, of course, nothing beats selling my own creations. It is very gratifying to me when people spend their money for something I have put my heart into. I have sold nearly 600 bronzes, dozens of stone and wood carvings, and countless clay and cast stone pieces.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I create sculptures in bronze, stone, wood, and ceramic. I am known for the wide stylistic and emotive range of my work. I am also known for my sculptures of music and musicians, nature themes, sports themes, and portraits. My work in bas-relief plaques and tiles is also unsurpassed.
I like to think I am admired for my craftsmanship; I put huge effort into the aesthetics and material integrity of every cubic inch of my pieces. I believe I have a strong grasp of abstract form and how to use it, even within realism, to convey meaning and emotion. I seem to have a knack for understanding what clients want expressed in commissioned pieces, and I am able to give them even more than they had hoped for.
Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
Make as much art as you can. Get it in front of as many people as you can. You’ll never know if your work will have enough appeal for you to be able to sell enough of it to make a living, so find a way to make a living that involves as little stress and as much freedom as possible–or be born into or marry money. If you feel the need to go to college, consider a major that can get you to financial stability without tearing out your soul. An art degree is unnecessary unless you want to work in the world of design, curating, teaching art, etc. To learn art, study privately with artists whose work you admire, or cherry-pick classes specific to what you want to learn. Major in business or nursing, etc., and minor in art. The business side of being an artist can take the enjoyment out of it. Remember, you are still an artist if you make art even if you are not making a living at it.
Contact Info:
- Website: JohnLeon.com
