Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Jude Remedios. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Jude, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?
I’m not sure of exactly when I got interested in painting but I do know it happened a loooonng time ago and revolved around my first experiences with finger painting using tempera paints on paper. That feeling was so exhilarating and intense that I’ve spent much of my life chasing it. I just felt that painting was what I was meant to do for the rest of my life. (Who else is with me?) With the exception of a few years off to raise our two boys, I have been painting ever since.
Jude, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
Painting is my form of self-expression. So I paint all the time… everyday. After decades and decades of committed practice to abstract painting I feel I can now create almost any style of abstract work. Always using my trusty 12” palette knife and working quickly I love to spread, splatter and drip colorful acrylic paint onto large canvases. Then, following my heart and painting intuitively, I usually create on large canvases in whatever style I’m interested in at any given moment. Using my palette knife and big arm movements, I often just start applying color to the canvas and then step back to let the painting whisper to me, telling me where to go next. Currently my work is revolving around large, neutral abstractions that seem to loosely suggest florals or landscape shapes. I call this series “Moonstone” and I’m really getting hooked. So I may stick with this style for some time.
I try not to dwell on specific ‘problems’ or ‘obstacles’ that I might face as an artist but I must say that my biggest headache always seems to revolve around finances: How to price my art. Will my art sell enough to support me? How much money should I invest in materials and resources? I resolve these issues by just going forward, trusting the process, and learning from my experiences both success and failure.
The best part about being an artist is the freedom it provides me to plan my days as I wish. Early mornings are the best painting times for me and I’m so fortunate to be able to mosey down the hall in the morning to my dedicated studio space with my first cup of hot coffee in hand. Thankfully my studio (originally a spare bedroom) has an attached powder room so I’m totally self-contained!
Words of advice to anyone interested in my opinion: 1. Follow your bliss 2. Try using all kinds of different mediums and surfaces until you find your favorites (mine are acrylic paints on canvas using palette knives) 3. Keep at it. The masterpiece you paint tonight might look like hell tomorrow morning. Don’t worry! You can always paint over it! 4. Or you can put your ‘ugly’ paintings out of sight for awhile. When you look at them again in a few weeks you may be surprised to see they aren’t all that bad. 5. Post your finished art on social media! Your followers will let you know which ones resonate with them. 6. I started young but you may be starting in your senior years. Carry on! It’s all good!
In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?
In my opinion, providing ample time during the school day (or even after school) for young people to experiment with all kinds of arts and music is critical to developing our future art makers.
We’d love to hear your thoughts on NFTs. (Note: this is for education/entertainment purposes only, readers should not construe this as advice)
Being a strong believer in creating “art-in-the-moment”, I’m vehemently opposed to NFTs. Partly because I don’t really understand the process but also because I don’t get why there would be any value in cyber-space paintings of my originals. I’m definitely old-school and prefer hard images, either originals or high-quality prints of my work.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.juderemedios.com
- Instagram: @jude_remedios
- Facebook: Jude Remedios Abstracts
- Twitter: @RemediosJude
- Youtube: Jude Remedios Abstracts
- Email: [email protected]
Image Credits
Ken Remedios