Reprinted with Permission from MissionsUnknown.com
JASON LIMON is a painter and one of San Antonio’s best-kept secrets. Personally, I think he’s so secret that even his own town doesn’t know about his paintings. On the international art circuit, it’s a different story though. He’s a rising art star and galleries from Los Angeles to Berlin are discovering his work. I first stumbled across it a couple of months ago via Twitter and felt an immediate kinship with him in that we’re both San Antonio artists making a full-time living trying to make art, while living under the radar here in SA. The current local art scene proclaims that SA is best when artists “Keep San Antonio Lame.” These days, the local art scene certainly lives down to that phrase, in my opinion. All too often, it champions ironic posturing, loose rhetoric, and tired cliche over solid draftsmanship, craft, and vision. In this climate, Jason’s work is a breath of fresh air. Is it science fictional? Is it fantasy? Is it horror? It’s all of it, and yet none of the above. I’m grateful that he took a few minutes out of his busy schedule to share a few words with MISSIONS UNKNOWN.
Artist’s
bio: Jason Limon was born in San Antonio, Texas in 1973. He first
showed his artistic expression at a fairly young age doodling characters
and sceneries inspired by his bustling neighborhood and surroundings.
He studied fine arts and graphic design at the Visual Arts &
Technology Center at San Antonio College
and entered the field of commercial graphic design in 1995 acquiring
comprehensive knowledge of type, color and composition. Following twelve
years of commitment to producing award winning logos and designs he
then turned his focus and concentration to where his heart truly began:
developing artwork by hand and brush, no longer by the clicks of a
mouse. He is currently creating gallery work and commercial
illustrations, some of which can be seen in COMMUNICATION ARTS, SOCIETY
OF ILLUSTRATORS OF LOS ANGELES, AMERICAN ILLUSTRATION, PRINT REGIONAL
DESIGN and GRAPHIS.
Favorite painters, comic book artists, and genre things include:
Hieronymus Bosch, Pieter Bruegel, Salvador Dali, Chet Zar, Chris Mars, Peter Marcek, William B. Hand; Chris Ware, Frank Miller, Frank Frazetta, Alex Ross, Daniel Clowes; listening to lots of podcasts including MYSTERIOUS UNIVERSE and MYSTERIES ABOUND as well as watching zombie movies (Jason: “Just watched DEAD SNOW –that was a good one!”)
When did you know it was time to leave graphic design and begin your career as a painter? Was there a single event that was the final straw or was it a slow burn?
I can’t say that there was a final straw or that it was a slow burn. I had enjoyed it for a very long time. I was always learning something new on the computer and from those around me. What had caused me to start feeling worn down was sitting day after day in front of a computer. Towards the end of that career, I was feeling stifled by the computer itself. I missed being creative with just my bare hands and had a serious craving to begin painting again to get myself out of digital mode. So when the time felt right, I jumped right on in.
How long did it take for you to build a stable living as a painter once you decided to take the plunge?
That’s a good one, because I’m still in the stages of figuring out how to survive financially. I’ve only been painting full-time for two years and one of those years (2009) has been very rough with the economy being bad and all. But as I continue onward, I learn a lot from my mistakes, explore new ways to create opportunities from my art, and have tons of faith that things will turn out well.
How do you approach marketing your work? Do you consciously make efforts to do this, or have the opportunities just come your way?
When I first started approaching a variety of galleries that I felt might be interested in showing my work, I emailed a bit of info about me and a few sample images of my art. Fortunately, a handful wanted to work with me. Since then, things just kind of snowballed and other galleries contacted me on collaborating. Looking back, I’ve been very blessed to have the yearly schedules fill up with all sorts of exhibits and events.
I’m always promoting my work wherever possible, but mainly on the internet. I’m on all the social networking sites and connect with monthly newsletters. (Here’s Jason’s Twitter feed and his Facebook page.)
You seem to prefer doing personal work over commissioned work. Is that so? And if it is, why?
Yes, you can say that. Unless the commissioned piece gives me free range to paint whatever I want to paint. In the past, I found it hard to illustrate someone else’s thoughts or ideas. But as my style and goals have become more stable, I believe creating illustrations that go with the right kind of story or article will flow out easier. As it is right now though, I’m really happy to be releasing my own thoughts and visions.
Your work has a growing international presence. You live and work here in SA. Does the city impact your work in any way?
I don’t feel like this city itself has a huge impact on what I do. The only real connection I see is my love for old buildings from our past, and nature. San Antonio has quite a few old buildings. My favorite would be the Missions, excluding the Alamo. I can be inside these places or sitting out in their open fields, and feel ideas start coming to life. I enjoy being alone out there for long periods of time. San Antonio still has that “small town” feel and the good thing about the city is I’m not really distracted by so much activity around me. That does have it’s negative side though because there are not a whole lot of artists here working in the same vein nor any galleries exhibiting that type of work.
How much attention has the local art scene given to your work? Will any of your work be showing locally any time soon?
Zero. But then again, I haven’t tried real hard to get local attention. Maybe because I know that there will be very few here that would be interested in what I do, or would commit to purchasing something. The good news is other cities have asked for my presence, and in these places, the art has done well.
What’s your favorite part of the creative process?
That would be the initial sketch, where the visions first come to life and then the moment where I get to pause, step back and take a good look at the completed piece.
What’s been your proudest achievement thus far in your painting career?
It’s being a painter itself. Though it’s been somewhat of a struggle, I’ve got to say that I feel proud when I’m sitting in the home studio, painting for a living.
What are you currently working on? What’s next for you?
I’m finishing up a few pieces for a shared exhibit over in San Francisco this November. I’ll have ten new paintings and will be exhibiting with three other artists (Jeremiah Ketner, John Bergeron, and Ken Keirns). November is a big month. I’ll also be a part of large group exhibits in L.A., Berlin and Hamburg. In December I’ll begin preparing for my solo exhibit in Chicago in April of 2010. I’ve been thinking of somehow formatting the work so that I might be able to produce some sort of book from the art. Not sure yet. The main thing for me is that I continue growing and exploring as an artist. Every new painting is a step closer to where I belong.
Favorite food, drink, or restaurant that can be found nowhere else but SA?
Oh man. I love snow cones in the summer heat, but you can find snow cones anywhere. Rolando’s Super Taco is pretty delicious – carne guisada con queso. My wife and I enjoy The Guenther House. I dig into those biscuits. Pastor tacos from those little mobile taco vendors — those are tasty too!
