A Fatal Confrontation - sold

Sold this guy recently, and even met the buyer :)

Living Room

I just got a bunch of artwork back from a local bar, and now it's in our living room again. This isn't even all the artwork, just what I could fit on the walls. So while we may have a dilapidated, broken futon in the room, it looks like a gallery in here. 

April Daily Drawings Update

Some recent drawings from my blog Scritchy Pictures! Check out more here :)

Cruzroom

Have a bunch of older and newer, previously exhibited, works on display at Cruzroom Bar on Alberta St. in Portland for the next 30 days. 18 pieces for sale. Feel free to check it out if you are in the neighborhood :)

2338 NE Alberta St. Portland, OR 97211

"His Destiny Was Written in the Night Sky"

This older piece from 2011 is now available as a print on Society6.

get a print of this work HERE

Scritchy Pictures updates

Some drawings from my daily blog. Follow along here: http://cabinetofanomalies.blogspot.com

"A Grim Hereafter"

This is an older piece that I just posted online recently. It was created for the BLAB show back in 2010, which opened at Copro Nason Gallery. I had to wait 2 years to post the image online. It's funny looking at this piece again after so much time has passed....

"Martin as the Green Man"

Did this portrait for the Pony Club Gallery (Portland, OR) February Portrait Show. Artists were paired and created portraits of each other. I drew this portrait of artist, Martin Ontiveros, as a “Green Man” for the show. He drew me as a kind of 3-eyed winged demon.

The Portrait Show

Hey PDX people! Come and check out the show at Pony Club tonight! It's gonna be amazing. So excited to be part of this lineup :) Starts at 6pm! 625 NW Everett #105, Portland, Oregon 97209

Mid-winter sales

Sold these pieces recently! They're drawings from my daily drawing blog and go for cheap (most for $5 - $20). Check out the blog for more available pieces. http://cabinetofanomalies.blogspot.com

Postcards From the Edge 2013

This is happening today and tomorrow in NY!

Can you guess who?  Over 1300 postcard sized artworks by established and emerging artists - displayed anonymously*.  Only $85 each.

Whether you walk away with a piece created by a famous artist or discover someone new, everyone finds something they love at Postcards from the Edge. 

PREVIEW PARTY

Friday, January 25, 2013
The only opportunity to see the entire exhibition.

Raffle & Silent Auction. (No postcard sales). 

VIP PREVIEW begins at 5 PM 

The VIP Sneak Peak gets you in to see the work one hour before the crowds arrive.

$85 admission (payable at the door or online see side panel) allows you into the gallery one hour before the crowd arrives, so you can get a closer look at all the artwork. Admission includes two raffle tickets.

ARTISTS PREVIEW 6-8 PM 

Participating artists attend FREE  starting at 6 PM (one hour after VIP Preview). Additional guest $85 each. 

BENEFIT SALE 2013

Saturday, January 26, from 10 am- 6 pm.
Postcards $85 each.  Buy 4 & get the 5th as our Thank You.

Sunday, January 27, from 12 pm- 4 pm.
Postcards $85 each.  Buy 2 & get the 3rd as our Thank You.

*Works are signed on the back by the artist and displayed anonymously.  Artists' name revealed only after purchase.  Benefit Sale is first-come, first-served.  $5 suggested admission.    Cash, Check, or Credit Card (MC, VISA, AMEX) accepted.

Sneak peek for "Night of the Hunter"

This is a sneak peek of my piece I created for a show at the wonderful Antler Gallery, here in Portland. The theme of the show is "Night of the Hunter"! It opens January 31st!

Antler Gallery: 

1722 NE Alberta St. Portland, Oregon

Opening Reception January 31st 6-9pm

Drawing Challenge update - January

Just wanted to post a few pics from my daily drawing blog on here, and let you know how it has been going so far. As anticipated, it has been more of a challenge this time around because I have less time to work on these things with my other shows and client work. But I am trying my best. If I'm lacking in ideas of what to draw, I tend to go for things from nature, like this flounder for example. I also will look at pictures of artifacts from ancient civilizations for inspiration, like these objects and images from Egypt. Today I had fun drawing these simple Native American masks :)

follow my daily drawings here :)

My Workspace

Ritual Interview

Thanks so much to Sandy at Ritual Gallery for the interview! Check it out!

Who are you and what do you do?

I'm Jon MacNair, an artist and illustrator living in Portland, Oregon. 

Why do you do what you do?

It's hard to imagine doing anything else.

Tell me about your work?  What are you currently working on? How is it different from your past work?

 My personal work and gallery work is mainly drawings with india ink on paper (sometimes with watercolor added). My commercial illustration work is mainly ink drawings with digital color added in Photoshop. I'm currently working on some pieces for upcoming shows in Portland. It's pretty much in line with my work of the past few years.

What inspired you to create such awesome creatures (characters)?

The funny thing is, I never really set out to create characters. It was a very gradual process that probably evolved from doodling in sketchbooks. And I guess the reason they are "creatures" for the most part, is that I've never been a huge fan of drawing people. I love drawing tails, horns, fur, fins and claws.

Why black and white?

It began when I first started using India ink (which was purely experimental). The monochromatic look grew out of the restriction of the medium I was using. It wasn't a conscious choice from the beginning to use the lack of color to evoke a mood or atmosphere (although these days that is definitely the case). I also do some pieces in color, although it's more infrequent than the black and white work.

What work do you most enjoying doing?

I love creating personal work, not intended for any specific assignment or gallery show. I have total and complete freedom. 

How did you decide to become an artist?

I've always enjoyed drawing and using other mediums to express something dwelling inside my head. I started drawing at an early age, although most kids do that. I guess the difference is I continued to do it as I grew older and really focused a lot of time and energy in creating things. I enjoyed it! It was like playtime to me. By the time high school rolled around, I was taking as many art electives as possible. I dropped chemistry to take yet another art class. It was pretty clear I wasn't going to be able to get through chemistry without a giant struggle, and it probably wouldn't have been worth it, considering the direction my career interests were heading. We had some recruiters from the Maryland Institute College of Art come to our school one day, and I happened to be in my art class with my portfolio at hand (I was getting ready for the Scholastic art competition). They looked over my work and highly suggested I apply to their school, which I did. The only other school I applied to was the College For Creative Studies in Detroit. I went with Maryland because I was awarded scholarship and thought it would be a better experience to live out of state.

What memorable responses have you had to your work?

I've had people embrace the work and love the world I've created, and I've had some people be very put off by it. One show that comes to mind was a solo exhibition I had in Baltimore a couple years after graduating college. Really, it was a cafe where I hung about 18 pieces up for a month. I'd always had some pretty good responses to my work in art school, so I had a bit of a rude awakening when I stepped outside my college bubble and found my audience to be quite critical and even negative towards my work. I thought it would be a cool idea to have a comment book for people to write feedback in. Some people misunderstood the point of the book and wrote comments for the cafe, concerning the food, decor, atmosphere etc. Others wrote some pretty critical things toward me and my work, calling my art "demonic" and "satanic". One guy wrote that I must have had a messed up childhood and called my mind a "ruined and mangled place." I can laugh about it now, but at the time I was just really taken aback by the response. It helped to toughen my skin though and I think I am actually better because of it. Also, in retrospect, I feel that getting strong reactions, even negative ones, is preferable to getting apathetic, non-reactions. The work is still making an impression.

What themes do you pursue?

I think there is a lot of myself in the characters I portray. They're not directly supposed to be me, but some aspects of their moods and feelings relate to me. I think there is a theme of journeys in my work, with characters traveling from one place to another as vagabonds or beings looking for a home. There's a theme of melancholy and loneliness in some, as well as a theme of nighttime. Nighttime is an interesting theme to pursue because it's sort of a transformative time. Things look different in the dark than they do in the daylight, and I think there are a lot of symbolic things that darkness can evoke.

Many artist struggle to find ways to sell their art, How do you sell your work?

 I feel like I'm still struggling with that. It's a difficult thing. Over the years, getting exposure in various ways has helped me build a bit of a following. It's weird to say that, but there are definitely people out there who have started to collect my work (and some of whom I have befriended as well) and keep an eye on what I'm doing. But first, you have to have your work seen. I achieved this in various ways over the years. I took advantage of social media and posted my work on sites like Facebook, Tumblr, Youtube, Twitter etc. I also participated in calls for submissions for zines and art publications, and took part in small gallery shows. Even something simple like submitting your website to an art blog that features artists can help. Everything you do to get your work out there adds up, and the more people that know of you and your work, the more likely you are to make sales. Exposure is key, but so is creating art that is true to your own vision. 

What was the best advice given to you as an artist?

 I'm not sure I have personally been given much advice as an artist, although I am always telling myself not to compare myself to others. It's kind of a tricky thing to avoid, but over time you realize that it doesn't do you any good and actually hinders your growth as an artist. 

What do you do outside of your work?

I'm a huge film buff, so I'm always watching films. I also love to cook, read and take photographs. 

Who are some artists you enjoy?

Harry Clarke, Edvard Munch, Charley Harper, Alfred Kubin, William Blake, Frida Kahlo, Kiki Smith and Henri Fuseli to name a few.

If I were to follow you around to see Portland which places would we go? What would we see?

 I'm not sure. I haven't even been in Portland a year yet, so there is a lot I have yet to see. I'd probably opt for taking a walk in the forest and then getting some really good food.

What can we expect to see from you in the future?

More drawings, although I'd like to try and do some larger scale ones in the future. Generally, 18" x 24" is considered a large size for me. I think it would be interesting to challenge myself to work bigger. I'd also like to experiment with translating my work to three-dimensional mediums. 

Any exhibits to promote in the near future?

Night of the Hunter at Antler Gallery in Portland. Opens January 31st!

http://www.ritualgallery.com/post/40638568131/check-out-the-latest-interview-with-artist-jon

Pillows

http://society6.com/jonmacnair/pillows