Today we’d like to introduce you to Jamie Fontana

Hi Jamie, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.

Growing up I had always been interested in the materials surrounding me. I remember art class, in elementary school, and how I was drawn to new smells and textures like dried paint, used wet clay cups, construction paper, and so much more. I was constantly surprised by how much materials can come to life, and I also felt daunted knowing that each material had its own set of restrictions as well. To sculpt a smooth animal out of paper seemed impossible. To create dimensional illustrations on clay seemed immensely challenging. I never felt like it was impossible and at every corner I thought “maybe it is impossible” there was some artist or some reasoning showing me completely otherwise. I still feel that way to this day and I cherish that. Knowing the plethora of approaches to art, knowing how much raw curiosity art naturally embodies, knowing how many materials there are to still explore and expand upon, ensures that any artistic doubts or uncertainties never overpower my passion and potential to create.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?

It has definitely not been a smooth road and it still isn’t! A common struggle I found myself encountering was the feeling of ambitious ideas, coupled with the lack of resources/space, skill, and time. I also feel like one of the bigger issues I face are things like doubt, comparing, insecurities, and other psychological barriers that make engaging positively with any creative process sometimes impossible.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?

I often consider myself a multimedia artist merely because I have a lot of love and respect for many, if not all, mediums, and really don’t like the idea, for myself, of settling into any one entirely. That being said, I definitely have a few that I gravitate more towards than others such as colored pencil, watercolor, printmaking (Lino cut, screen printing), and digital animation.

I am most proud of how I feel/see a consistent growth and expanding of feelings for my work/processes. I used to be stuck thinking “I don’t like this”, “this is mediocre at best”, “this isn’t working the way I want”, and “people don’t care for my style and work”. Now I find myself looking back at the body of work and “failures” of 8+ years and all I see are lessons, pieces that remind me of how much fun or soothing it was to make something, how thrilling it was to have that “aha” moment, or how that piece I thought was awful actually has a quality I now like or can at least respect. For a long time, I thought feelings like those were just for artists who have been deemed successful by others and knowing that I can now feel those things for myself is something I can say I am most proud of.

As for what sets me apart, I feel like it’s the same thing that sets every artist and every person apart from one another. We all have different lived experiences, we all have similar human experiences, we all have ways we navigate those both. We all have preferences for materials and use of them, we all have subjects we gravitate towards or want to capture, and we blend it all together in a way that feels authentic or needed in that given moment. Any way I may appear to stand out are due to those factors and another perception of them.

Do you have any advice for those just starting out?

My advice for those just starting out, is to try everything you can! Do many many small experiments, challenge your fear of certain mediums by approaching them differently, educate yourself on subjects you may not be connected to and explore them further in your work. Also do not compare yourself to others (rather ask yourself “why do I like this” and try to explore those elements), reach out to a range of creatives because there are always people willing to share what they know or have, and all in all generally try your best to stay curious and excited!

More importantly take care of your mental and physical health. It is hard to make work that we feel proud of when our mind and body are telling us that we are not okay engaging with things like taking a walk, journaling, meditating, talking with others, exercise, and much more not only help keep us in a positive place, but also will impact our art processes in the same way. Art can be very therapeutic so remind yourself that if you’re using art for therapy to deprioritize the results and prioritize the quality of the experience.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.jamie-fontana.com/
• Instagram: @creativestarvation