Today we’d like to introduce you to Lamar Jones.
Hi Lamar, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My name is Lamar Jones and I’m a visual artist. I work with oil paints and mixed media on canvas. My work is inspired by how the African diaspora influenced American culture. Music inspired me to become an artist. It was a heavy influence on me at a young age. The first time I saw Bugs Bunny I knew I wanted to be a creative. I’ve been drawing since I was three. I started playing the piano shortly after. Piano lessons and recitals around kindergarten. My mom enrolled me into this private school ‘Harambe’ in Milwaukee. It was cool. My first school experience was saying the pledge in a kente cloth accented uniform next to an all-black class, instructed by a black teacher. My teacher had a nose ring like Tupac. The 90’s was an expressive time for us. Learning about what my black skin meant at such a young age gave me so much empowerment. I remember as a kid, Art was like a pastime of mine. We used to take family trips from Baltimore to Milwaukee to visit and I would be sitting in my Nana’s house bored out of my mind. I would get bored a lot so I kept this sketchbook with me. Anytime I was out with my mother I would ask her to buy a sketch pad for me. I would draw things like DBZ characters and random objects in front of me. By high school, I was drawing portraits for my friends. That’s when I first saw people’s reactions to art besides my family. Kids would pay me to draw on their air forces ones and Timberland boots.
At the time, graffiti and bubble letters were really popular. The whole 2000’s pop star look. Fast forward to 2010, I moved from Baltimore to New Jersey and continued making music. At the time, I had a great mentor Gary Bartz, who taught me the dedication it takes to be successful. Relentless. More dedication than Lil Wayne. I was in the studio recording every day and night. Completely obsessed. It was all good until the day my hard drive crashed. All of the music I recorded gone, just like that. I remember life hitting me hard around that time. I wasn’t feeling good about decisions I made and was getting over a bad breakup. I remember I started painting this figure on his knee holding his heart out to a curvy figure. They were nude figures in the middle of a road under the moonlight. It was completely from my imagination. Surreal and weirdly romantic. That became the vibe. I ended up framing that piece later on. I started drawing more about love and the natural beauty around me.
In 2012, my practice evolved into something more. I was crushed by the Trayvon Martin news and decided to paint a portrait of him during the trial. I remember finishing the portrait literally at the verdict. I signed my name in outrage. I still can’t believe Zimmerman walked away unscathed. But that’s America for ya. From that day forward, I had a hunger to protest through my art. I started using my Instagram @LamarJonesArt strictly for art. I painted a few portraits of Trump that later got banned from the internet. The original paintings sold, so I’m happy about that. Before I started exhibiting with Art galleries, I was doing local pop-ups and group shows. That was a really fun time in my journey. Those were really a dollar and a dream moments. I would show up with my best artwork and empty pockets. But my pockets weren’t empty by the end of the event. Doing the footwork is what the old heads call it. Those years really taught me how to sell. When I decided to be a full time artist, painting murals was a huge help. Bigger projects with a bigger budget.
Now there are even more doors open for artists to share their practice with the world. The pandemic made people comfortable to buy big purchase items like fine art online. It’s been great to share my love for art with others. I get to travel and meet interesting collectors and watch my paintings live a life of their own. One of my favorite opportunities was a mentorship in 2022 with an incredible painter by the name of Charly Palmer. I met Charly in Los Angeles at Band of Vices art gallery for a group show after winning an art competition, ‘In The Paint’ sponsored by the Los Angeles Lakers and Destination Crenshaw. The Lakers hosted an art exhibition with selected artists and everyone involved in ‘In The Paint’. Everybody was there. The coaches, owners, staff, Lebron James, Russel Westbrook, and so many others. Everything sold out. It was a good weekend. Art granted me so many opportunities that I wouldn’t have imagined. It makes me happy seeing my art leave a positive impact on so many individual lives. I aspire to inspire. I’m completely grateful to be blessed with such talent and courage to live my dream.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It’s been a journey. A roller coaster of emotions. A nonstop search for what’s next. It hasn’t been easy. I always heard the “starving artist” story but a hustler ain’t trying to hear that. I was willing to risk it all to get what I wanted. And that I did. I’ve had times where I had to choose between taking my art practice to the next level or devoting my time to a romantic relationship. I often thought to myself “I hate working this stupid job” but that job was paying for my studio. I quickly learned the costs of pursuing a dream. Especially Art. I think the biggest struggle I’ve had along the way is paying to ship paintings. Making sure the work is safely packaged and protected for shipping. I started painting to ease my anxiety. Now I find the business side causing me anxiety sometimes.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I paint pictures of my human experience from my perspective. My work is mostly large-scale oil and acrylic paintings of people close to my heart. I try to capture natural beauty of human expression. I specialize is mixed media painting on canvas. I’m most known for my abstract paintings of black figures in American culture. Black history is a great influence of my values, not just as an artist but as a person. Painting about political issues that affect others like me is so important to me. They say a picture says a thousand words.
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
If you’re not willing to risk yourself for it, you don’t really want it. I think if you’re going to risk anything for any reason, it better be for your own betterment. I like to think I’m a calculated risk taker. I take risks with intention. Don’t put it on the line if you’re not willing to lose it. What’s it worth to you? Trust yourself.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.lamarjonesart.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lamarjonesart/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandon-jones-508955240
