An Artist’s Journey

Jack Brown was the Grand Prize winner of International Artist magazine’s Challenge No. 121, Still Life

New York-based artist Jack Brown’s earliest memory of drawing a picture was of an airplane skywriting the letters “ABC” when he was three years old. “Somehow I must have known from that day on that I was going to spend my life making pictures,” says Brown. “Years of learning how to draw, studying anatomy, experimenting with paints and learning composition continued, as did my passion for art.”Jon Guitarist, oil, 20 x 24"

Knowing he wanted to work in the art industry professionally, Brown became a graphic designer and then an art director. “Eventually I opened my own graphic design company. The projects I worked on were varied. I worked on everything from abstract design to illustration. Most of the work we did was highly creative and required solutions from inception to completion,” he explains. “These were done in many mediums: watercolor, magic marker, illustrations, to name a few. Photography was used when needed.”Abandoned Car, oil, 16 x 20"

Twenty years ago, wanting to draw and paint again, Brown enrolled at the Art Students League of New York where he studied realism under Jack Faragasso. Being in New York City, he has easy access to art museums, which only enhanced his work. Brown’s focus in art is wide ranging, painting everything from portraiture and still lifes in oil to compositions in watercolor and graphite. Many of his paintings are inspired by his own life experiences—with scenes and people he’s encountered around New York and his travels—or he captures models from his art classes in unique ways.Central Park, oil, 16 x 20"

Sabbath Table, oil, 20 x 24"

His painting Central Park was inspired by a horse and buggy he saw on one of his many walks through the park, while Jon Guitarist was a man he observed in New York City that gave him an idea for the work and the woman was added for drama. Abandoned Car was a scene he came across driving on a highway in North Carolina. “I came upon this deserted car and thought it should be remembered,” he says.Party Time, oil, 24 x 48"

Among his still lifes are Three Peaches and Sabbath Table. Explaining the latter work, Brown shares, “I grew up in a Sabbath observant home and the table settings were always special. Those days were an inspiration for this painting.”

Brown adds, “For me, learning to paint has been fantastically rewarding, though rarely easy. Titian—long considered a painting master—best expresses this attitude: Just years before the Renaissance artist died, he said that even after so many decades of painting, and despite so much acclaim, he was merely beginning to understand his craft; he was just beginning to learn how to paint. I identify with that immensely. For me, painting continues to be a challenging yet illuminating journey.”The Dressmaker, oil, 36 x 24"

Brown has won recognition for his artwork with multiple exhibitions and awards, including a solo show in Newton, Massachusetts, and an award from the Salmagundi Club in New York City. —