Today we’d like to introduce you to Jamie Neely.
Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
I didn’t start delving into art until high school. To me, I was the writer of the family and my sister the visual artist so it never occurred to me that I could go down that road, too. But I was entering a time where I had more control over my schedule and an art club available to me, so I decided art was something I wanted to learn. I’ve always been creative, whether dancing, writing, or having a brief stint taking piano lessons, so it wasn’t too much of a surprise when making art clicked. I remember imagining this life where I’d be a full-time artist one day, but never really thought anything of it. Then I went to college, spent a year at Columbia College Chicago, and in the end decided to get my Associates in Art. I started forging this directionless path into the art world for myself, not quite knowing where to go or what to do, but knowing I wanted to create. It took a little time to push myself into it, but finally I started searching for places to display my work and since then have been in group shows, displayed at businesses, participated in events, and gotten to work on a mural. I grew up being told I could do whatever I wanted with enough determination and hard work and combining that mentality with my passion for visual art has finally landed me in a place where art is a large portion of my life. At this point I’m excited to see the twists and turns my story takes and hopefully fulfill that high school dream of being a full-time artist.
Please tell us about your art.
The bulk of my work is illustrative, though a love of sculpture, in particular paper, has taken a hold of me ever since I created a piece last year called “Inner Power”. I definitely still paint on occasion, but the effect achieved with illustrative materials like colored pencil or watercolor appeals to me above all else. Illustration captures a certain whimsy that has always enthralled me and I can’t help but be drawn to it. Paper sculpture has begun to do much the same.
This love of whimsy is knit together with my adoration and respect for nature. The wild and the natural influences everything I do, even if it isn’t necessarily the subject matter. Nature has this vibrancy and wonder to it and is abundant in organic form and movement and I use those traits in my work. If something feels disjointed, if it doesn’t flow or feels too geometric, it doesn’t feel like an accurate reflection of myself or whatever I am trying to convey.
I tend to integrate my personal emotions and experiences with my reflections on the world. Sometimes this results in pieces aimed at making a statement and sometimes it results in work that exists wholly for it’s aesthetic. Art should always remain an act of play and if I were to force myself to only create a certain type of work or always force myself to make a point, I would strip that out of my narrative. My art is simply a chance to feel and I think, especially in today’s world, that is significant enough.
As an artist, how do you define success and what quality or characteristic do you feel is essential to success as an artist?
It’s easy to say success as an artist is equivalent to being able to make money off of or live off of your art, but I think in reality it is deeper than that. If you are happy and confident in what you are making and it fills you with an overpowering sense of joy and satisfaction, then you are succeeding as an artist. If you aren’t there yet, then keep working until whatever it is you make represents what you know you are capable of. Being a successful artist lies in pushing yourself to do the best work possible and always making art. If you are putting all of yourself into your work the money will eventually come. It’s about maintaining passion, determination, and resilience. If you can keep those up, then success is a matter of time.
How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
The easiest way to see my work and keep on top of what I’m up to is by following my Instagram page @jamieleeneely. It’s where my newest pieces and announcements of what I’m up to are posted. September 28-October 20 I’ll have a piece in Woman Made Galleries Language of the Voiceless show and will also be displaying a few pieces soon at Tredwell Coffee in Aurora. I always have work hung at a shop called Consciously Rooted in Hinckley, where you can also buy my work. Otherwise I ask people to DM me on Instagram or Facebook to inquire about whatever piece it is they are interested in purchasing or commissioning.
Contact Info:
- Website: jamieneely.wixsite.com/jamieleeneely
- Phone: 815-830-9932
- Email: jamieleeneely@outlook.com
- Instagram: @jamieleeneely
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jamieleeneely
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