Jonpaul Smith shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Jonpaul, a huge thanks to you for investing the time to share your wisdom with those who are seeking it. We think it’s so important for us to share stories with our neighbors, friends and community because knowledge multiples when we share with each other. Let’s jump in: What is something outside of work that is bringing you joy lately?
Any time I can get out in nature it sparks joy. It is a guaranteed mood improver. I love being out in the garden and watching in astonishment at the complex beauty encapsulated in a plant as it grows. These same awe-inspiring observations are found on a great hike or walk with my wife. I have been an avid cyclist most of my life. Many rides give you that slower pace of observation that can only come from a bicycle. Slowly cruising on back roads or secret urban alleys, and the little discoveries that come from both. It is that feeling of smallness while also feeling connected to the natural world that I enjoy while being in nature.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Growing up in a small town in North Central Indiana where craft is appreciated has given me an innate interest in art versus craft and the dialog inherent to that discussion. Where I was raised there were many great crafts people that were a constant source of inspiration. My grandfather could make and create anything out of metal, my aunt made beautiful oil pastel portraits, and my mother can create anything she puts her mind and hands to. My family also owned a small business, a liquor store, and I was inundated by the resulting consumer packaging at an early age. I found the process intriguing of how my father would display the products to the masses in organized rows and detailed color grid of patterns. So, I think I have always been in love with creating and it was not until school that I began to see that as art
I received my M.F.A. from University of Cincinnati, D.A.A.P. with a concentration in printmaking thus cementing my love of paper. While at D.A.A.P., I was searching for a way to battle the inherent process of printmaking and began deconstructing my prints, cutting them into squares. With these squares, I constructed large grid-based, quilt-like works. From there, the process of cutting my prints into strips and weaving them emerged naturally. While attending an artists’ residency in Budapest, Hungary, I began sourcing found materials. The paper ephemera and litter of the city greatly interested me, and I began incorporating it into my work.
I work with private clients/collectors, commercial galleries, designers and many art consultants. I love working with people to help them design and execute my work in their space.
Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. What relationship most shaped how you see yourself?
I have been fortunate enough to have many influential instructors in my life. Not only in the academic sense but also in those people you meet every day that share their knowledge and experience within a subject. My high school art teacher was one such person for me. She gave me an early appreciation for art and introduced a professionalism in the field that I carry with me still today. I also had two terrific college art professors that fostered my creativity and helped me develop my work to apply to graduate school. After school so many fellow artists have been kind enough to share their knowledge and passion within in their field with me, allowing me to gain new skills and techniques. It is all these various instructors throughout our lives that I believe shape and make how we see ourselves.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
Probably only a lucky few have had a completely smooth road in their career or life. Like any profession my career has come with its share of challenges. Like many have noted before, it is how we respond and move forward from these challenges that develop our character. Work/life balance, family obligations, loved ones, our own and others health along with a multitude of other obstacles take our time and focus. It can often be difficult to see the accomplishments we achieve while busy. One such challenge for me has been the multiple roles I have to maintain. For example, the role of entrepreneur. Besides the actual creation of the work as the main focus, there is the logistics to the “business of art.” Crating and shipping work for shows and keeping up with communication, working on commissions, searching out the next opportunities, social and web presence, financial management, etc. Learning from and being open to these new roles as they pass through my life has only had an overall positive impact on my work and professional development.
Next, maybe we can discuss some of your foundational philosophies and views? Is the public version of you the real you?
I would think that most of us maintain some version of a personal versus public persona. There are definitely varying shades of this. We probably all have met someone that is very open and within one conversation we learn everything about them. While transversely there are people we have known for years and know little of their personal life or thoughts. I would say that I am somewhere in between, the public version of me is definitely the real me. However, I can be reserved when first meeting people but often open up after a few interactions, I would say I am a natural introvert with extrovert tendencies.
Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. Could you give everything your best, even if no one ever praised you for it?
I would like to think that is how I function now. I try to always have me head down and be at work. That does not always mean career focused work, there is also work outside of the physical/tactile work of the studio. It also can be a day spent preparing a lecture or responding to emails and maybe even some time out in the garden weeding and maintaining. My parents demonstrated a strong work ethic and sense of responsibility throughout my adolescence. Both of my parents worked jobs, provided for me and my siblings while also caring for aging parents. They were never without a task to accomplish and were rarely seen taking time off. I believe much of my perseverance has to do with their example and the idea that not all hard work and effort will be seen to be rewarded. They instilled in me that we do what is right because it is right not because someone else sees you accomplish it.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://jonpaulcsmith.com
- Instagram: @jonpaulsmithart
- Facebook: jonpaulsmithartist
- Other: https://www.lilypress.com/artists/jonpaul-smith
