Our community of artists is the core foundation of Artfinder. With such a vast community based in all corners of the world, we wanted to help them share more about their artist journey, their artistic process and technique and what inspires them. Today, we chat with one of our amazing portrait painters, Jo Beer.
Can you introduce yourself, where you are from and how long you have been with Artfinder for?
I am a figurative/ portrait painter based in Cornwall, UK. I have been listed with Artfinder since May 2015.
How would you describe your work?
My paintings are intimate studies of people.
What influences you and your work?
I am influenced by people around me. I am fascinated by people...their character, quirks, lined faces, their style, the way that they choose to embellish themselves. I paint people that I have seen out and about and thought "wow!" . Everyone has something about them that makes them stand out from the next person, it might be outrageous, it might be something subtle...but my intention is to document whatever that is with paint.
What does your creative process involve?
I approach people who have caught my attention and arrange a sitting. Going back 30 years, I painted everyone from life sittings. These were long, boring and awkward for the sitter. These days, people have busy lives as do I, they just don't have time to sit for me all day, and if they live a long distance away, the logistics become tricky.
So, the sitting these days is photographic. It is an opportunity to play with composition, get to know a bit more about my subject, get a feeling for what makes them tick, I take a large number of reference shots.
I draw straight onto white primed canvas, I never underpaint. I always start with the eyes and work outwards from the centre of the face. When we engage with someone one to one, we look into their eyes, that is our focus, so it's essential that I get that right at the outset... everything else just flows.
I always use oil, it's a medium that suits my work, I thin with liquin as I go. If I have an area that I need to dry super speedy, such as a metallic background pattern, then I add it in acrylic.
Have you changed as an artist overtime?
Over time a larger portion of my work is privately commissioned. I enjoy commissions, they force me to paint something that I wouldn't ordinarily choose to paint, often take me out of my comfort zone... making sense of a client's ideas and making it work on a canvas is sometimes a challenge, but rewarding always.
My style has evolved under its own steam for the past forty years and will continue to going forward. My paintings are more assured than they were ten years ago, I still use the same broad brush strokes, but the look is less brutal these days, but I hope that they are just as descriptive.
What’s your favourite artwork you created and why?
My favourite portrait to date is a portrait of my son laying on his Marvel bedding, in a Captain America t-shirt, holding Marvel Lego characters. I painted it during Lockdown, it transports me to that time, it was a very productive time and it provided quality time with family.
What do you think is the role of art/artists in society?
Art can be purely aesthetic, or it can be used to make a statement. It can illustrate political/ social issues, prompt discussion, result in a passionate reaction.
For my part, I just want to put people on the map. If I notice someone, I want to illustrate why that person has significance, I want the painting to say " here's this person and aren't they amazing?!", the hope is that someone will find it as interesting as I do. Fingers crossed.
What advice do you have for emerging artists looking to make a living out of their art career?
Fine tune what you do and get it seen, get it seen, get it seen...any which way you can, make people aware of you and they will remember. Don't let anyone tell you that you are doing it the wrong way... there's no such thing. Just do it YOUR way, it's what makes you unique, nobody can do YOU better than you do yourself. Do what you love, do it with integrity, and stick with it.
Cover image via Jo Beer
