Sometimes you meet the best people on the school bus. When we moved to the Burke (Northern Virginia) area when I was in the 6th grade, I couldn’t have asked for a better bus-load of people than my fellow Kings Glen students. They were and are really cool people who’ve gone on to do interesting work that shapes our everyday experiences.
Thanks to social media (love it or hate it, it does have its moments) I’ve been in touch with folks from my early days. Jeff is one of those people. The artwork he generously shares on Instagram was helpful in getting me out of a dark period last year. What I call the “May-June slump” happens to be the dead of Winter here in Sydney and for many reasons (sinus infections, seasonal depression, mixed feelings about Mother’s Day) it feels like the Rolling Stones song “Paint It Black” for me. Though Jeff’s work is dark (in choice of colour), it’s comforting in a way I cannot yet find the words to describe.
Check out Jeff’s portfolio here.
And here’s Jeff in his own words. Enjoy!
Q: Where were you born and how has your hometown shaped you?
San Diego. It hasn’t really shaped me much at all since I never spent much time there. I grew up in VA, close to DC and around a lot of politics, which I spend a lot of time catching up on.
Q: What are some of the best places you lived and why?
West Los Angeles is beautiful because it’s very clean and close to the ocean. There’s a lot to do as far as eating different cuisine from different places in the world. I liked parts of growing up in VA as far as its proximity to downtown Washington DC and all the history and museums the city offered. But I’d never go back now as I’m pretty happy in CA.
Q: Which films, music, books or people have influenced you?
David Cronenberg (Director), Devin Townsend (musician), Margaret Atwood (author), Egon Schiele (painter)
Q: Who are some of the professionals you look up to in your field?
Anyone who is more organized and better than me, honestly! I could stand to learn from anyone with superior skills in that department, which is a lot of artists. There are people who aren’t even in the industry but do great colour work or possess great draftsmanship.
Q: What’s been your best recent discovery? Food, activity, clothing, brand, life hack, etc…
First and foremost, drawing digitally is a boon. I’m finishing art faster now! I’m trying to dig into AI and that’s a different arena, but I’m excited about the different possibilities.
