Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Jonathan Machen. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Jonathan, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Innovation comes in all shapes, sizes and across all industries, so we’d love to hear about something you’ve done that you feel was particularly innovative.

For over forty years I have explored my surroundings armed with pencil and paper, hoping to interpret the beauty in the world around us through the process of drawing. I have always felt drawing on-location to be a form of meditation, because interpreting what is in front of you through line and tone on paper means you have to quiet your mind enough to be able to pay attention and be present, connecting your hands and eyes in a fluid response to the surroundings. In doing so, a person drawing can experience an integration of body and mind in consonance with the natural world; a grounding, peaceful, and expansive experience, that anyone can access, should they too be inspired.

As with any other artist, I have sought to share my creative work after the process of drawing is over. However, the innovation I have come up with – admittedly, not earth-shaking, nor am I the first one to do so – is to share my process of drawing through time-lapse videos, and in doing so, highlight the process of ‘creativity in action’ which is, in in some ways as important as the finished product. Through these time-lapse videos, not only can I share the evolution of the finished drawing, but also the process of drawing. I can also weave other elements, such as music and words, into the finished videos; hence they become simultaneously a marketing tool for the finished product, as well as a unique expression that combines movement, music and words. (Because I have also studied music for many years, I can also weave my own guitar compositions into the time-lapse videos).

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I studied art and art history in school, and have always loved the creative expression of visual art. I have long sought, through discipline and a strong work ethic, to teach myself how to draw and paint, and then to use that expression as a way of philosophically examining the world around me by producing landscape, architectural or portrait art, as well as serving clients who need drawings for whatever purpose they have.

In addition to selling my landscapes out of the Gallery Giuseppe in Eldorado Springs, Colorado, I do commissioned work, either portraiture, landscape, or architectural, in pen-and-ink, chalk pastel, and oil paint. I have a list of satisfied customers who have sought out my talents over the years. I focus closely on detail and design, and have a unique style that has developed over time. I have also painted a large number of large murals, including one in a meditation room at the Unity Church in Boulder which reflects the unity of the planet, and provides a backdrop for deeper meditation.
My archive website is https://www.jonathanmachen.com

Alright – so here’s a fun one. What do you think about NFTs?

I am still exploring the concept of an NFT, which is philosophically interesting to me, but it’s use in strictly making money irritates me, especially when the art created to make an NFT is sub-par.

In my exploration of time-lapse videos, I create, in a sense, what the NFT attempts to do: make a uniquely identifiable moment of creativity that stands alone, and has value. But what is the real value of art? I find that the element of greed, in trying to brand a unique moment as valuable only in it’s ability to generate revenue through its association as an NFT, is an issue, not to mention problematic in the light of how much energy it takes to sustain the blockchain process.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

My particular goal in my creative journey is to reflect through human eyes what is all around us, in a way that melds creativity, attention, and love.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.jonathanmachen.com
• Instagram: @jonathanmachen
• Facebook: jonathan.machen
• Linkedin: jonathanmachen
• Twitter: @boulderdrawings
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVdU8Rn4EYBm2fg50j7OaHg
• Other: email: jonathan@jonathanmachen.com Also: https://www.gallerygiuseppe.com/jonathanmachen

Image Credits
The portrait of me is by Vincent Gieub. All other photos are by me.