Hello, I’m Jon.

I still have the first painting I created. A 12x14 still life - a bowl with fruit, now faded to darkness.

I've painted off and on throughout my life. The last ten years have produced most of my work - about 300 pieces, 180 of which are acrylic on canvas.

The majority of the work is human portrayal, the dear female of the race. Basically I see faces and figures wherever I look. They just appear while gazing at anything, trees, buildings or folds in a curtain. Essentially, squiggles on a page become a face. It’s not intentional, it just happens.

I consider myself an artist more than a painter. In other words, I don't copy anything - e.g. a literal representation of a landscape. An idea just flows from my head onto the canvas. I have no idea how the piece will progress or end up. It’s a visceral thing, a kind of freedom.

Most of the work is colorful, the painting seeking attention. Lots of hand gestures, beckoning, repelling, suggesting. My work can be stark and crude but I want people to question what they're seeing.

I believe Picasso was the greatest artist of all time because of his desire to be different. His art has had the most effect on mine.

I have always felt the need to create, the gift of my life. Before painting, I was a successful potter for seventeen years and sold many thousands of pieces.

I invented and designed the solar chime - A decorative indoor chime that is powered by light (via a solar cell). I built the chimes by hand at first, and then founded a business to manufacture them based on my designs.

My attention has shifted over the years. I have allowed my mind to pour out my creativity into whatever medium feels right in the moment. Recently, an urge came to me to write. Since then over a hundred short stories, musings, and poems have appeared. I plan to publish those along with my artwork.

Not everyone is creative - I got lucky.