We were lucky to catch up with Jill Kramer recently and have shared our conversation below.

Jill, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. I’m sure there have been days where the challenges of being an artist or creative force you to think about what it would be like to just have a regular job. When’s the last time you felt that way? Did you have any insights from the experience?

Most definitely, yes! I am very lucky to have the opportunity to pursue my craft full time.

And yes, I have wondered what it would be like to have a career that offered a steady income and better financial security.
While I have held full and part time positions in arts administration and management over the last 20 years, none of them have been as satisfying or fulfilling to me as the act of creating. Struggling with creative inquiry, dirtying my hands with ink and paint, the work of making an idea come to life – that is what gives me satisfaction and joy.

Jill, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I received my BFA in printmaking from Kent State University and my MAAE from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. My creative and teaching practice has always been grounded in relief printmaking. And my positions in arts management have found place in small museums, public schools and community art organizations. For as long as I can remember, I have always wanted to be ‘an artist’.

I grew up in rural North East Ohio and learned to appreciate the quiet peacefulness of the woods and to have reverence for the natural world. That sensibility is very much a part of my artistic practice today. I am currently working on a series of large scale illustrative relief prints that reflect my continued interest in and awe of nature, and its’ unfortunate deterioration.

I always travel with a small sketchbook and set of watercolor paints. So no matter where I am, the prairies of Illinois, the desert in Utah, the mountains of Maine or the coast of Nova Scotia, I have a way to record what I see and where I am. I use those quick sketches and paintings as the main reference when I return to my studio and work in a larger scale. The majority of my hand colored relief prints (linocuts) range in size from 18″ x 24″ to 36″ x 48″. This means I cannot work ‘plein-air’ very easily. I rely on my sketches to provide not only a visual record of the scenery but to capture the mood as I am experiencing it in that moment. My phone allows for easy documentation of the landscape around me as well. However, I use those photos for secondary reference only.

These landscapes are then drawn onto large pieces of battleship grey linoleum, the negative space carved away, the surface rolled with oil based ink and either printed by hand with a baren and wooden spoon or with my relief printing press.. Any necessary color additions are added once the entire edition has been printed and the ink dried.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

I think the simple answer is look at art, purchase art and support local art organizations.

Look at art -Visit a local art gallery and attend an opening reception. No one will know that you are not an artist or that you have never been there before.. Meet the exhibiting artist and ask thoughtful questions about their work. Ask them what it means. Ask where they get their inspiration. Google the name of an artist you remember and find the museums that hold their work. Then take a virtual tour of that museum, you may find something new you are drawn to and didn’t know existed.

Purchase art – Go to a local art fair, art walk or high school art show. Find something that fits your budget, $5 or $5,000, it doesn’t matter. Purchase what you can afford, what makes you smile and what you want to look at every day. Don’t purchase art from a big box store or chain. Purchase artwork from the person that actually made it.

Support your local art organization – These are hidden gems! Attend a lecture, event or workshop. Maybe you can’t draw or paint or sculpt, but everyone starts somewhere. Send your child to an art class at a local art organization. Maybe you don’t want to put on an art smock, but you can support your local art organization by making a monetary donation or volunteering. These organizations often rely solely upon government grants, membership and volunteers to stay open.

Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

This is an interesting question, because the world has changed so much in the 30 years since I complete my undergraduate studies.

My college mentor always told me me to read, read, read then read some more – that is how we, his students, would continue to learn. That’s still the same today, but now I no longer have to carry books or magazines around. The convenience of reading material on a phone, tablet or computer offers no excuses not to research or learn – about anything!
The plethora of artists websites, videos, blogs, etc dedicated to specific art mediums is mind boggling.

So many ‘hidden’ resources have always been around, but artists need to be reminded of them. For instance, finding a critique group is really important for artists. It offers a way to get feedback on your work before it is presented to the public. It offers a way to look at your work through fresh eyes and address problems or issues with the work before they are hurdles that cannot be overcome.

Museums, galleries and cultural organizations can offer videos and online programming, many of these for free, I don’t think there is an excuse to not engage with art and artists around the world. I just took a walk down the spiral of the Guggenheim in NYC and didn’t leave my desk!

In a world where some many people sit behind a computer for work or social media.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.jillakramer.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chimerapress.jakramer/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chimerapress
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jill-kramer-goldstein-4b247139/

Image Credits
All photos taken by Jill Goldstein