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| login id: | jimmymcdonough |
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| BIOGRAPHY |
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I was born in 1972 in North Carolina. My father joined the United States Army to support his new family. Luckily for him the Vietnam War was just winding down. My first memories were of growing up on military bases in West Germany. I think it was there I began my appreication and pursuit of painting. I remember romantic visions of castles, country side, candies, cookies and tanks. We moved back and forth across the Atlantic for most of my childhood. I lived in a haunted house in Georgia, a military ghetto in Gelnhausen, West Germany, an Army town in Kentucky, the sticks of North Carolina, and an international military base in Munster West Germany. All of these places ebnabled me to accept and appreciate the diverstiy and mercurial nature in life.
Growing up I always wanted to become an artist. I remember looking forward to art lesons in school. At Christmas my parents eventually learned only to purchase art supplies as gifts. ( Although this backfired on me one year when my mother gave me a Bob Ross Art instruction book.) For my sixteenth birthday, I wa given an easel. towards the end of my childhood I was instructed to be reasonable, keeping painting as a hobby and focus on getting a real education for a real job.
After college I decided to pick up painting agian. Through participation in small group shows around Raleigh, North Carolina and friendships with other artists I began to think about pursuing my art with greater seriousness. I got work at a frame shop and joined a collective art studio, Antfarm Studios. ( www.antfarmstudios.org ) This was very inspiring to me and gave me a taste of what it would be like to create all day long, The studios are located in a rotting building, formerly a washboard factory. It has a wood burning stove, a 15-foot ceiling, and birds. It was the birds that ultimatley drove me to leave when I discoverd that they had defecated on a painting of mine one morning. I found other places to paint and unavoidably, other confornations with nature!
The one thing that stuck with me was the invisible ceiling the South has for artists. I began to get fustrated and wanted to learn more about painting and be around more things that involved the arts. Several friends of mine had made the journey to New York City. Then I found out about thge Art Students League. I could fulfill the need to further my education and career so in 2005 I migrated to New York. I immediately felt wanted and was amazed by all the resources availible . I started taking classes and the following year won a scholarship.
Currently I am living in Brooklyn with my partner, Tim, and our cat, Stella. I am studying non-representational painting under Frank O'Cain. I see painting as a life long occupation. |
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