Today we’d like to introduce you to Randall Jones.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Randall. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
When I was first touring colleges, I put myself down as a psychology major looking to do clinical talk therapy, and a lot of my friends were film majors. We all went to tour the University of North Texas together and we couldn’t actually find the film program, but we found a sign telling us where the tour of the art department was, so we figured maybe film was included in that. We snuck in this auditorium halfway through someone giving the rundown on all the painting, drawing, and sculpture being made at the school, and I kind of just had this lightning bolt moment that I wanted to teach art and start taking painting very seriously.
From there I spent four years at UNT getting my degree in art education, and spent countless hours in the studio, which really gave me so much of the tools that I use now, and exposed me to so many brilliant artists who really paint in this deeply psychological and metaphysical way that really inspires me. I’m actually back at UNT again for the last of year of my Master’s degree in art. I’ve worked at the Fort Worth Museum of Modern Art for nearly two years, which has really allowed me to immerse myself in what’s happening in contemporary art today.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
I feel like in a lot of ways from the beginning I’ve really just blindly stumbled into this whole thing. I was just painting and drawing on the side for fun until I realized that maybe if I really devoted some time to this whole thing I could have a lifetime of making and teaching people art. This led to me creating a load of paintings and sculpture in order to get better, which led to being in art shows with other artists, to having the first solo show of my work, and now, I do a lot of painting commissions for people as well as working on my own paintings. It’s pretty funny to me how it’s all turned out, and how unplanned it has been. I think for me just wanting to get better has always been the priority, and that inward-facing perspective on my work has always really blinded me to where I’m headed, and I just fumble my way forward. Which is a fun place to be, and I hope there are more rungs on this ladder for me to go.
Please tell us more about your artwork, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
I am an oil painter, and there are a lot of different branches to that. I do painting commissions for people, which I really love doing. There is an immediacy to painting something specific for someone and putting the canvas in their hands and seeing the reaction on their face. Making my own work is really fun because the art gets to be so uniquely whatever I want it to be, which has a beautiful freedom to it. When you really pull something out of yourself to make a piece of art and it resonates with someone else, there is a kind of connection there, where you feel really understood and seen on a level that it can be difficult for language to express. That’s why I like images in general, they can explain different kinds of things, like emotions, in a new way that language can’t do. So, I love coming up with weird ideas and turning them into paintings, and I love making commissions for other people to have in their homes.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
I really spend most of my energy outside of the painting itself on the Instagram page, making prints of my work, and on my website. It’s all grown very fast for me. I started these pages at the beginning of this year, already having a lot of paintings ready to show, and in just half a year or so, I’ve already gotten to work with and talk to so many people about the paintings, be in different shows, and even being here talking with you. It’s really taken me by surprise and I’m just thankful for everything that I’ve gotten to experience so far and hopefully, there will be many more paintings to make and share down the road.
Contact Info:
- Website: randalljonesart.com
- Email: randalljonesart@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/randalljonesart/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/randalljonesart/
Image Credit:
Randall Jones
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