Meet Joseph Mckinney

Today we’d like to introduce you to Joseph Mckinney.

Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
Since I can remember, I’ve always been an artist. I started off watching my mother doodle on napkins and scrap pieces of paper, and like the mama’s boy I used to be, I picked up a pencil and followed in her footsteps. I would spend hours drawing in books, in magazines or whatever I could find. I would even create my own characters and storylines while imagining a world far greater than my reality. Not only was art first love, it was also my escape.

I never thought being an artist for a living was probable. My family didn’t have a lot of resources growing up, so money was my only focus. I thought of a million things I could be, a doctor, an engineer, and even the president. Art was always something I could do but thought it would always remain a hobby.

I went to Ohio State University to study engineering, which later turned into a degree in Marketing. After graduation, I began working at American Greeting Card Corporation, the world’s largest greeting card producer. I immediately began to realize that the corporate industry wasn’t for me. I want to live a life where I create my own path and live within my passion. I was conflicted because all my time was going towards the corporation and I found out that I didn’t have any hobbies or passions of my own.

On my 24th Birthday, I received a sketchbook from my friend that said: “Sometimes life gets so hectic that we forget the things we love and have a passion for, Always make time.” After reading this, it dawned on me that I forgot all about my first love, Art. I began to sketch until those sketches tuned into drawings, drawings to illustrations, and illustrations to paintings. I rediscovered my passion and what I loved the most. Once I found what I love to do, I realized what I was doing didn’t fulfill my purpose. My corporate job wasn’t stimulating me mentally or creatively, so I decided that it was time to leave corporate and become a full-time artist.

After about a year and a half, I finally left and moved to Houston, Tx. I spent eight months in Texas working on my art and developing my style. I create art that motivates and inspires people to be different and keep moving forward no matter the obstacle in their path. I created the Paper People Brand, which can be seen through original paintings, t-shirts, and stickers. The Paper People represent freedom, and the ability to write your destiny without the indulges of stereotypes and societal norms. They promote positive thinking and mental health awareness.

I currently reside in Atlanta, Ga, and have been a full-time artist for 10 Months now. I’m working several personal and professional projects geared toward building a platform for a visual artist and promoting messages that highlight the beauty in chasing your dreams.

Please tell us about your art.
In my artistic practice, I use oil and acrylic paints to create powerful images that demand the viewer’s attention. My painting techniques are intended to make the image pop with bursts of color. My paintings prioritize contrasts of color, and the techniques of realism vs. representational painting. I design compositions that centralize the figure, surrounded by bold representations of their environment.

Our lives are one enormous journal entry, and our bodies are the pages. Within every high and low is another part of our story, writing itself in the way we smile, the way we laugh, the way we cry. The figures that I paint, inspired by the works of M.C. Escher, express this. Through the use of bright colors and expressive postures, I attempt to exhibit emotional vibrancy in these figures. Representing both myself and the viewer, the bodies in my paintings traverse through moments of darkness, impossible to navigate paths and infertile soil on which no flowers can grow. Nonetheless, these characters experience their pain, resist in spite of it, and find themselves suddenly surrounded by the beauty that was always there. These figures have found peace and nourishment through their inner strength.

Choosing a creative or artistic path comes with many financial challenges. Any advice for those struggling to focus on their artwork due to financial concerns?
You just have to keep going, if your heart and passion are in the right place the money will make itself, It sounds weird, but it’s true. Stay focused! Also, getting a small job or having other means of making income definitely helps!

How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
People can see my work in a couple location:
Website: Blackmindcreative.com
Instagram: @Josephth3dreamer

The best way to support is to purchase original artwork or prints. Also, every artist loves their work being shared with new people, friends, etc.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.blackmindcreative.com
• Phone: 470-699-9551
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/josephth3dreamer/

Image Credit:
Joseph Mckinney

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