“Women Artist” Photo, 2018- selfie in home
Cammie Jones Glassell Park, CA Age 63
What keeps you excited in the studio? I didn’t start doing art until my 1st year in graduate school to become a Clinical Social Worker around age 27. So my artist development runs parallel to my clinical experience. Since that time which is now more than half my life, I have never had a moment that I didn’t work daily on my art after or before work, and, during every free moment of “my life”. I take every opportunity to create so I’m always excited to see what will come next to inspire me. Since living in a very small house, the world is my studio!
Looking back at your trajectory as an artist, how would you say your work has developed? Looking back 35 years, I started out very abstract (since I had no idea how to draw). My first painting ended up being in a book so I felt I was on the right track. I did a lot of installations and spoken word. Early on, to save myself from the drunks in the audience when my husband would play in his band, I started creating small black and white images of the musicians and groupies. Even had a small drawing class in a few pubs. I turned those images into hand made magnets. Thirty five years later, the style of the line has gone from thin to thick, but I am still creating black and white images in my “Public Transportation to Fancy Restaurants” project. I often hear from friends back then that still have my images in their home even after many moves. Always brings a smile to my face. Also when I started I loved to paint big – now due to years of creating without a lot of sales, my small space has become even smaller so I have had to move to creating smaller paintings. One day I will go big again!
What role do you think the artist has in today’s society? To me art is everything. Working with children and families for over 40 years, and, supervising new clinicians, I have always stressed the importance of a creative outlook for one’s own enjoyment but also to process feelings and help to resolve the vicissitudes of life.
What’s the most important advice you could give to an aspiring artist? Create. Create. Create. Find your own style and be proud. Don’t allow life to stop you from creating. You may need to shift how you approach your art but keep evolving and having fun. Enjoy your creativity. Believe in yourself.
Does age matter in art? Why or why not? As the years tick by I see myself as an artist first. The challenges with aging and losing some of the energy I used to have, is not always having the physical strength to spend as much time as I want doing art. It is always a challenge to maintain enough energy to be present at my clinical job. Other than that I don’t think age really matters in art. Anyone can come up with amazing ideas/images.
What can we look forward to from you next? I am continuing to work on my “Public Transportation to Fancy Restaurants” Project as long as the funds last. This is one of the funnest projects I have done because it continually pushes me out of my comfort zone (which I think is great for the creative process), forces me to trust the process and let go of expectations but remain open, exposes me to the denizens of Los Angeles and how conversations start and where these relationships might lead, plus, I can justify having a delicious meal since “I’m doing art”. In the past 7 years I have done about 70 different restaurants and keep finding new ones to capture and experience. I have also brought my easel back inside (at the end of my bed) and started paintings after a few years of not doing so – currently working on a series about Noah Purifoy’s Outside Sculpture Garden in Joshua Tree – my happy place. I love the smell of oil paint and linseed oil in the morning. And, I’m having a lot of fun making AI images and creating Upcycled Cardboard Jewelry. Furthermore, my fingers have been itching to click so I imagine I be doing some street photography again soon too! And, of course working in my garden and being lead programmer for Arpa International Film Festival rounds out my life.
Is there anything else you would like to share about being an artist later in life? For me I have always needed to work a full time job plus outside of art so I am desperately waiting to be able to retire so that I can focus all of my time and energy to creating. I know of no better life than that of an artist at any age! I am happy to have found art!
cammiejones.com @cammiewjones
“Magnetic Art Images from Public Transportation to Fancy Restaurants Project”, 2019