please introduce yourself?
jon lilley. 30 years old. santa rosa, ca. i was born in san francisco and moved to sonoma county as a child. lived here ever since. i enjoy the fact that i'm so close to so much, but not...living inside it so much.
what do you make or do?
i never really have a good answer to this question. i make art. it could be easily described as abstract expressionism, but i just look at it as art. i do mostly mixed media pieces now, working mainly with acrylics and found/created images and generally in larger formats. i paint at home, in my garage, but for years worked all over my house, my backyard, friends' houses, etc. i worked with strictly canvas for many years, but have been using wood panels lately and have even begun to build them myself. i've also been using gel medium to transfer images onto panel and slowly rubbing the paper off to leave the applied image behind. it’s definitely been a process of trial and error, but even the errors turn out well.
where can we find your creations?
jonlilleyart.com. is a good place to start, but good 'ol facebook is the easiest most current manner in which to find me. i update that pretty often. also, white oak winery in alexander valley currently has my work hanging on an open ended run. (bonus: they have booze there.)
how long have you been creating and is it your full-time job?
forever? i wanted to be a cartoonist as a kid, and was always doodling and drawing for friends; graffiti art, cartoons for the school newspaper, making cards for family members...lots of drawing. after high school i kind of floated around a bit then started studying graphic design at santa rosa junior college with max hein. really thought that's what i wanted to do, was all set to go to academy of art in san francisco, but chickened out. i was really close to finishing the program at srjc and had to take an intro to art class to get me over the hump... and discovered paint. paint always intimidated me. i thought it was too messy, too expensive...just too much. once i started, i didn't really stop. i ditched the computer and started getting messy. i've been painting pretty steadily for about 6 years, with little breaks here and there, and have been fortunate enough to sell a lot of my work. i would love to do it solely for a living, and eventually (hopefully) i will.
when you're not making things, what do you do?
i've been working in the restaurant industry for about nine years. currently the bar manager at stark's steakhouse in santa rosa, ca. food, wine and sprits are a huge part of me and my life. the resurgence in the cocktail culture has been a fun wave to ride and i'm fortunate to get such a creative outlet in my "real job". i live to eat, have seven bicycles, a shoe fetish/problem and an 8yr old dog named koda...who is the most important thing in the world to me.
is creativity a luxury or a necessity for you?
i never really looked at painting as something i needed to do. but, as i've grown a bit older and grayer, i notice how much happier and relaxed i am when i'm painting.
what obstacles have you had to overcome to lead a creative life?
money. time. drive. motivation. like i said, i feel very lucky to have sold so much of my work, and know that it can be something i can make a living at, it's just been hard for me to take that chance. soon, though. soon.
did someone in your family, a friend or teacher introduce you to your creative side or have they helped you along the way?
i'd say my mom. she's always been very creative, very supportive. my dad, too. max hein was a big influence. bob newman, one of my closest friends and supporters has always been someone to kick my ass when i need it. (or buy some paint when i need it).
where do you find inspiration?
i have a ton of vintage communication arts and print magazines. mostly stuff from the 60's and 70's. i love those. i also draw inspiration from other artists. jason thielke is an artist from colorado that does amazing work. chuck close, thiebaud, rauschenberg, rothko. i think artists now don't give enough credit to people who did it first. we always say at the bar "no matter what, somebody, somewhere, has made this before. we aren’t first." and even if that isn’t always correct, its good to be humble. i've spent a good deal of time in west los angeles, mostly santa monica and venice, and really appreciate and admire the scene there.
what’s on the horizon for you and what you do?
hopefully "evolving". my style has definitely changed in the last few years. even my process has changed. i've always painted flat, on two old saw horses, using bits of matte board scrap and a plastic squeegee to drag paint around a surface. i don't think i'll ever totally get away from that, but i have seen how the manner in which i work has grown. i have never had a plan for a piece; color, tone, subject matter--just size. and i just go. which i love. i dont like to think too much about it. those who know me know that i overthink everything. im hoping that in the next few years, my life can imitate my art. and i'll just go.
if money wasn’t an issue how would your life change with regards to your art?
hands down, i would paint, everyday. all day. and travel a bit, too. i just recently spent some time away from "the job" and did a ton of work in a very short period of time. and when it was time to go back, i knew that i had made my decision. it's something that i will eventually need to do full time.
what would be your perfect day off?
an entire day with my dog and some of my closest friends. perhaps some fish tacos and tequila would be in order. but, yeah, definitely my dog. those who know me best know that she and i are pretty important to one another. just ask her.
what inspiring advice would you give to other creatives be they established or just starting out?
learn to be more accepting. to everything. to opinions, to change, to having to take a break from making something. learn to make mistakes. learn that sometimes you're going to make something that you think is shitty. and then learn that someone else may love it.
and most importantly...
if you really want to paint, pick an old pair of shorts. and then wear them until you can't anymore. rinse and repeat.
and here is some of jon's art...
and jon and his his much loved and walked dog, koda
