Don Jolley 706-294-0674 dnjolley@gmail.com
A bent to the creative side was obvious early on in my life. However, as a child, my exposure to anything art was limited to watching “Miss Emily” paint flowers. An elderly lady, she spent the Winter season with her son, our next door neighbor.
After high school I attended the local Junior College and over time became increasingly unhappy with my direction. During my sophomore year, I signed up for an art course and took the first step of a long journey that included private art lessons, marriage, working in a local art supply and frame shop and then eventually moving to the University of Georgia where I obtained a degree in Graphic Arts. My professional career ended years later with early retirement and full-time attention given to painting.
If there is a single art style from which I find inspiration it would be the American Tonalist painters of the 19th century. Like them, my goal in the creative process is to capture the emotion within a landscape rather than portray it with photographic accuracy. Most times a split second response to a scene will leave an image in my mind’s eye. This image germinates and developes into a painting...my interpretation of that image. At best, what I hope to give someone looking at my work is a recollection of an experience or emotion…. to evoke a sense of familiarity in what they see.
Typically, I begin a painting on location (en plein air), doing hasty color renditions to capture the color values and light. Experiencing the effects of natural light and atmosphere first hand are essential for me to achieve any degree of success or satisfaction in a painting. Afterwards, I move to the studio to complete my interpretation, often referring to photos I’ve taken in the field.
http://MainStreet Gallery-Don.blogspot.com .
For information regarding commissions, purchases or terms email dnjolley@gmail.com