Today we’d like to introduce you to Anthony Jones.
Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
I have always been a creative soul since a child but never truly pursued that walk of life because I was always told that art was not the way to be successful in this world. After graduating from high school, back in 2011, I struggled to find my way in college because I truly did not know what I wanted to do with my life. I switched majors four times while attending Georgia State University, going from accounting to philosophy to technical communication after finally settling on becoming a graphic designer.
My journey as an artist began back in 2016 after experimenting with psychedelics. At the time I was in a really bad place mentally and was searching for answers because I felt like the pressure was on me to start a career and get my life together. The psychedelic experience was an experience that will never leave me. My mind was opened up to different perspectives on my own life/habits, as well as, making me question what my purpose was on this earth. That night I made a promise to myself to never do anything that I didn’t feel held value in the world or didn’t help someone in the process. As a child, I always wanted to know how to draw realistic forms that we see every day. The day after the psychedelic experience I began to draw and haven’t put the pencil down since.
Ever since the experience Ive held myself to high standards and I push myself to the limit, as well as other artists, to follow their hearts and never let the voices of your audience knock you down.
Please tell us about your art.
I consider myself a graphic designer who specializes in incorporating illustration with the principles of design while bridging techniques from fine art into the digital world. I use my laptop and iPad to create the majority of my work using programs Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, & Procreate. I enjoy doing digital art vs. fine art because there is no health risk involved compared to oil painting, where you mix different chemicals to achieve a certain outcome on the canvas, which can be detrimental to one’s health breathing in toxic fumes.
My inspiration comes from everyone that I have ever come in contact with, music, other artists, and most importantly, nature.
I want people to understand that anything is possible if they put their mind to it when viewing my art. I want to give hope to those who feel hopeless. Ultimately I want to inspire people to follow their hearts, no matter what anyone else thinks.
What do you think about the conditions for artists today? Has life become easier or harder for artists in recent years? What can cities like ours do to encourage and help art and artists thrive?
I believe that the conditions for artists today are truly what the artist makes it. Besides creating, which can be pretty hard, as well as pretty easy at times, I think that it is easier today for artists to promote themselves with all of the social platforms that are at our disposal. Thanks to social media it is easier to create content that you feel will reach a broad audience because you somewhat know what a certain group of people feel/like.
I think cities like Atlanta can encourage artists by having more organizations, like your own, who truly care about art. Creating events that cater to mingling with other artists, as well as, having the opportunity for the general public to come and view that art.
How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
People can view my work through Instagram or go to my personal website, antjones.co
Contact Info:
- Website: antjones.co
- Email: ant15man@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/antjones_atl/
Image Credit:
Anthony Jones
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