Welcome (serious artist face)
My name is Jon Shannon Rogers and I make paintings and drawings. I received a BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and an MFA from the New York Studio School. Throughout I have had a passion for working from direct observation with an emphasis on color. My current process is working directly from a subject for extended periods of time and then translating those works into large studio abstractions. Over the last few years since getting my MFA I have painted and taught as an Adjunct Professor living in Little Rock, Arkansas. This July I moved to Oakland, CA to join the Firehouse Art Collective.
Best Car Wash Car Wash, Fair Park & Markham
Oil on Canvas Oil on Canvas
48 x 60 16 x 20
One of six nominations by The New York Studio School I was selected as Artist in Residency for the month of September at the Dumfries House in East Ayershire Scotland. The residency is sponsored by the Prince's Drawing School, a London based school devoted to the practice of drawing and one of 18 charitable organizations funded by His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales. The New York Studio School was invited to make nominations with four other American institutions- The Art Students League of New York, The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, The New York Academy, and the Yale University School of Art.
"Dumfries House is set in 2,000 acres of land in East Ayrshire, Scotland and was built between 1754 and 1759 for the 5th Earl of Dumfries. It has been described as an 18th century time-capsule due to the fact that the principal rooms and their contents have remained virtually unchanged for 250 years."
I will be sharing the residency with three UK artists, and the residency is providing housing as well as private studio space. We will also have access to the collection of art and craft housed on the estate for the National Gallery of Scotland.
(oooh, fancy)
Funding Goal: 2000 Buckaroos
My goal for this campaign is to raise $2000 for use on supplies and travel. The residency comes with a generous $2000 stipend and I have saved $1500 for my own use during this time. But after buying plane tickets, paying rent while I am gone, and factoring in money for food and living expenses, my budget for supplies and travel will be a little tight. This campaign will alleviate the stress of financial strain and allow for me to make the most of this incredible opportunity.
Supplies- I have enough saved to buy basic supplies like good paper, charcoal, ink, and even a little watercolor, as well as tape and fixative and the like. This campaign will allow me to further beef up my artistic arsenal with a roll of large high quality paper and more charcoal and fixative for large drawings, like this one:
Titian's Bacchus and Ariadne
Charcoal on Paper
76 x 82 As well as bring some oil paints, canvas and stretchers, plus a full palette of watercolors and good watercolor paper to do on-site painting like this one:
Baphuon, Angkor Wat, Cambodia
Watercolor on Paper
12 x 16
Travel: While studying in Italy for six weeks in 2007 at the International School of Drawing, Painting, and Sculpture, we took weekend trips from our perch on Montecastello di Vibio to see works by the Italian Masters in places like Bologna, Arezzo, and Assissi. I would like to recreate something like this while in Scotland for at least two of the weekends. I have tentatively planned to Travel to London for a weekend to visit the National Gallery and other collections, as well as a trip into Northern Scotland to see more of the country. I will be looking for other exciting opportunities before and during the trip. If you have ideas please let me know!
I also have dreams of post-residency travel. The most expensive part about overseas travel is getting to the region. While planning a two week trip to India and Thailand in 2012, I was able to extend my travels another four weeks to include Cambodia, Laos, and Northern Thailand by selling a large drawing. The money raised was less than the original ticket cost and enabled me to extend the trip by 200%! Europe is a little more pricey, but I think if I budget well and meet my campaign goal (with your help) I can travel for another two weeks before returning to the US to install an exhibition in November.
RewardsIn return for your generosity I am offering several perks in conjunction with the warm, fuzzy feeling helping an aspiring professional accomplish their dreams often gives:
$30 - 1 Ticket to the Opening of my forthcoming Exhibition at the Thea Foundation in North Little Rock on November 7th, 2014. Ticket includes open bar, hors d'ouerves, live music by the Funkanites, and a chance to meet the Artist. (20 Tickets Total)
$50 - 2 Tickets to Exhibition Opening at Thea Foundation, including open bar, hors d'ouerves, live music by the Funkanites, and a chance to meet the Artist. (10 Pairs of Tickets Total)
$125 - Mantis or Rhino Beetle Relief Print- Hand printed, Signed and Numbered First Edition Linoleum Cut Relief Print, unframed (20 Prints Total)
"Rhino Beetle" 4 x 6 in "Mantis" 6 x 4 in
$200 - 2 Print Suite of Mantis and Rhino Beetle Relief Prints- Hand Printed, Signed and Numbered First Edition Linoleum Cut Relief Prints, unframed (5 Suites of Prints Total)
NEW!! Ogoni Relief Print
$200- New Linoleum Cut Relief Print, 8 x 10 in. Plate Hand Printed with a wooden spoon! These First Edition Prints, made in my kitchen in Oakland, are from a Mask on view at the De Young Museum in San Francisco. It is the first of many from this rich collection. The Mask was made in Nigeria by the Ogoni People. Each Print will be shipped unframed, signed and numbered out of an edition of 60.
"Ogoni" 8 x 10 in
$350 - Mask Relief Print- Umboi, Biwat, or N'Tomo- Hand Printed, Signed and Numbered First Edition Woodcut Relief Prints, unframed (9 Prints Total)
"Biwat" 18 x 12 in "Umboi" 12 x 12 in "N'Tomo" 24 x 12 in
$700 - 3 Print Suite of Relief Prints from Goya's Drawings- Sword Thrust, Excavation, and La Garrucha- Hand Printed, Signed and Numbered First Edition Woodcut Relief Prints, unframed ( 5 Suites of Prints Total)
"La Garrucha" 12 x 9 in "Excavation" 12 x 9 in "Sword Thrust" 12 x 12 in
NEW!!
$1000 - 3 Print Suite of Mask Relief Prints PLUS Newly Printed Mask from the De Young Collection- Umboi, Biwat, and N'Tomo, as well as the newest Mask in the Series OGONI included- Hand Printed, Signed and Numbered First Edition Woodcut Relief Prints, unframed. (3 Suites of Prints Total)
$2000- Original Charcoal Drawing from Titian's painting Diana and Actaeon, 76 x 82 in. (1 Original Charcoal Drawing Total)
Requests for which prints are received will be honored on a first donor basis for as long as they last. Support this great opportunity while beginning your collection of original art.
All donors, regardless of donation will receive thank you emails before and after the trip with information about the experiences your donations funded as well as high resolution images of the work made during the residency. And thanks in advance for your donations. (,,,thats three thank you's!)
Whether the goal of the campaign is reached or not, every dollar donated will help buy more supplies to make work and create more of an opportunity to see more of Scotland and the region.
Challenges
This will be my first Artist in Residency experience and I want to make the most of it. While I was studying in Italy in 2007, my first experience working abroad, my budget was pretty tight. When the art supply company that I bought materials from had an unexpected delay completing my shipment, I was left with few choices for local art supply solutions as well as diminished funding. The stress and difficulty of working within too limited a means is something I would like to be absent from my upcoming residency. With your help I can focus on the intent of the residency and make my work!
I have experience traveling overseas and have grown adept at saving money and traveling smartly. You can be sure that after traveling in Italy, Spain, France, India, Thailand, Cambodia, and Laos, every dollar of your donations will be maximized toward the goals of art-making and art-related travel adventures.
Like everyone, I have monthly bills to pay. The big obstacles, like rent and student loan debts make budgeting very necessary for this trip. I am currently working two jobs in the East Bay about six to seven days a week. I wait tables as well as do some work with an art handling company, to be sure that my current savings aren't diminished before the trip. Without working for the month of September, I will probably have to keep up this rigorous work schedule upon return to the US. This would stifle the peak production level I will be coming out of the residency with. A successful campaign will, in conjunction with providing supplies and the ability to travel, also cushion my return financially to allow me to keep making work once I'm home again.
If you are not able to donate, thats ok! You can still help by getting out the word. Please tell as many people as you can and be sure to use the Indie Go Go share tools embedded in the website.
Thanks for taking the time to read my campaign and I hope you will support this amazing opportunity. You can see more of my work at my website: www.jonshannonrogers.com