I am so happy to announce the second in our series of guest readers for Family Storytime. Our theme today is "art" and we are very fortunate to have a wonderful artist from El Dorado as our guest. Meet Jim Clements!!
What is your job?
I am an artist.
How long have you had that job?
I’ve been drawing my whole life, and painting for about 27 years.
What do you like about your job?
I love many things about it. Since my painting subjects are primarily people, it gives me the opportunity to work with many interesting personalities. I also like creating a likeness of a person or a certain scene, starting with just a blank canvas. Looking at my subject, I react intuitively to what I see rather than rely on formulas. This lets me mix colors as I go, and observe edges, values and use a variety of brushstrokes. When it all comes together and the painting is finished, it makes whatever struggle I had getting it right all worth it.
Is there any advice you would give someone who wants to do the same job?
Draw. Draw everything. Drawing is a great way to improve your ability to observe things, and is fundamental in every form of fine art. Every problem I ever have with a painting almost certainly goes back to the drawing being off. If I take the time to get it right, the painting goes much smoother. Although inevitably, no matter how careful I am with drawing I still often find I’m off a bit as I begin to paint, so I continue drawing with paint. It never stops through the entire painting process. Don’t hesitate to correct mistakes. You’ll be happy you do and frustrated if you don’t. Do every painting to the absolute best of your ability. Also, you’ll never stop learning, and the more you learn, the more difficult the next painting becomes. This is because you know more about what works best, but it isn’t always easy to achieve.
What did you want to be when you grew up?
I was interested in so many things; I changed my mind a lot. I was never set on any one career for very long when I was a kid. But the thing that has always been with me was my love of art. It’s how God made me, and I take it much more seriously now than I did when I was younger.
Did you like to read when you were child?
Absolutely! I read constantly when I was a kid. I truly believe there is nothing – not movies, not TV, not video games – that is better for your imagination than reading. Actually, I read constantly even now.
What was a favorite book or author when you were a child?
I really liked books about animals. Two that come to mind that I read numerous times were "Midnight", about a wild horse sold to the rodeo circuit that could never be ridden. I think it was a true story. Another one was "Kavik the Wolf-Dog", about a half wolf-half dog who neither belonged in the wild or in the village. He had to survive on his own in the wild. It’s been a lot of years so I don’t remember the details, but I remember I liked it a lot. I still have both of these books; maybe I’ll read them again!
What do you like to read now?
Art books mostly. I’m always trying to educate myself to be a better painter. I also read biographies, political books, and novels.
Do you have a favorite story/author?
My favorite author is Michael Crichton.
Are you reading anything now?
I’m always reading. Right now I’m reading a book about the history of the United States. I just felt like I need a refresher course. I was occasionally coming across historical references in other books and realized I’d forgotten too much since school. It’s very interesting.
Did you ever try to write a story?
I did when I was a kid.
Would you like to write or illustrate a book someday? What would it be about?
I’m too slow a typist to write, but it might be fun to illustrate a book someday. I always thought it’d be cool to do illustrations for some bible stories. There are a lot of good ones and it’d give my imagination a workout coming up with unique ways to present them.
Do you have a library card?
Yes I do!
Awesome interview, Jim. Thank you so much. I hope to post a pic of Jim soon.
If you missed our first interview, go to 8/30/07 for a visit with our first guest reader, Jon Pic.
Stay tuned to this blog for more interviews.
Keep reading!
Teresa
No comments:
Post a Comment