We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful John Newhouse. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with John below.
Hi John, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear about a time you helped a customer really get an amazing result through their work with you.
I am an illustrator who draws portraits as gifts. I draw both pets and people so my clients can give them as something more inventive than the normal purchase or for someone who simply is “impossible to buy for”. My successes comes from the reactions to my work. A family’s patriarch who passed, the family dog who had been so much a part of their lives and the retired policeman who I was commissioned to draw his father. The letters I receive of how much my work has touched them is my greatest reward…the money doesn’t hurt either.
John, 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?
Turning a passion into a profession is a challenge. Ask any musician, dancer or artist, and they’ll tell you how hard it can be. Doing something for fun is…well…fun. But changing that into a business is…well…you get the point.
That was always the question I had towards my illustration. Sure, I have
a lot of years of drawing experience, my family has been in the art business for over a 100 years, I studied fine art, and it’s always been the center of my career. But did I want to make that into my real profession? Did I have the time? Better yet, was I comfortable enough to sell my work and have it be a gift?
So as life would have it, the opportunity presented itself. Now without the old “9-to-5” and without countless emails to check up on, time was suddenly my ally. I revisited my love of illustration, and with the support of my family and friends, decided to start my own illustration business.
I called it JMN Illustrations.
Within weeks of starting my business I had drawn everything from golden retrievers to the golden years. The requests were fun and challenging, but also unexpectedly humbling. The reaction of you, the clients, whether it be tears, laughter or memories shared, was so unique and unexpected. It inspired me to continue this business, and it continues to inspire my desire for perfection.
I am a husband, a father, and an illustrator. I know how special the people and furry friends in your life are and I know how important it is to get the essence of them just right.
That is why your reaction is my greatest reward
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
To ALWAYS grow, to ALWAYS learn more about my craft and myself. There are so many talented artists out there who intimidate me, so I need to ignore the fear of not being as good as they are and continue on my journey.
Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?
Confidence
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.jmnillustrations.com/
- Instagram: JMNIllustrations
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jmnillustrations
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnmarknewhouse/