Jon is the first born into a Marine Corps family. As such, he and his brothers travelled extensively throughout the U.S. His boyhood dream was “to pitch for the Chicago Cubs.” Eventually though he went to law school and now sits as a judge.
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He has been fascinated with art and artists his entire life. While not formally trained, Jon took art courses in school and college. But he was never really satisfied with them. While he understood their basic importance, Jon quickly bored with still lifes and landscapes.
He recalls a pivotal moment when he first viewed Van Gogh’s “Self Portrait.” “I was within inches and could see every brush stroke and sensed the raw emotion coming from the work.”
While visiting family in Chicago, he went to the Museum of Contemporary Art. Standing in front of Marc Rothko’s work, he literally got lost in the fields of color. “I was mesmerized,” he says.
Jon cites the ground-breaking artists in Ninth Street Show (1951) as his major influences. Action painting, lyrical abstraction and grand gestural brush strokes.
His own work is aggressive and physical. “During the day I’m in an environment in which I see a side of humanity others seldom do. And I realize it’s reflected in much of my work.”
Currently, Jon’s work can be seen at 1821 Gallery & Studios in Fresno, California’s Downtown Arts District. (1821 Calaveras Street-Fresno)
