Today we’d like to introduce you to Jody Cross.
Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
I have been an artist since the day I could hold a crayon. Without my ability to create art, I feel like life would lose most meaning. I got more serious about my art career in college, and I graduated from TSU with a BFA in Printmaking. Shortly after I went through a dry-spell and didn’t make any art for almost two years! The structure of limited college assignments mixed with other courses had dampened my creative spirit. Until one day at a mini-festival for flow arts (poi spinning, fire dancing, hoolahoops, etc.) I met a group called Third Coast Visions. From them, I learned about the live painting life, and in 2014 I started traveling to festivals and events all over the country, even in Nice, France, and Costa Rica, to paint-perform live to good music while surrounded by the audience. I am a self-taught painter with only one acrylic painting class in college. I love painting in my studio alongside the live painting. There’s something so magical about both styles. In my studio it is peaceful and I get into a kind of meditation while I work on my own things as well as commissions. When I live paint, I enjoy feeding off of the energy of people dancing, the music, and the other painters. Art truly is my heart.
Please tell us about your art.
As I stated before, I am both a studio and live artist. I also perform flow arts as a fire poi spinner and silk fan dancer. I love to mix things up. I dance while I paint, I add in sculptural elements to my paintings to make them 3D, I mix watercolor washes in my backgrounds with acrylic and paint pens on top, and so on. I believe that one of the bases of being a human being is to be able to create something unique. For me, this is my artwork. I so enjoy when a client or audience member comes up to me with a deep feeling, good or bad, that was stirred up from my artwork. Art is just such an amazing communication tool!
We often hear from artists that being an artist can be lonely. Any advice for those looking to connect with other artists?
Right now, I feel a bit lonely as an artist as I have currently moved to California for an undetermined amount of time. I am in wine country and have had a very difficult time finding other artists like me, especially live painters. However, when I sit down in my tiny studio (my apartment) to paint, have a small glass of good wine, and put on some good jams, then I forget about all the bad stuff. I say, be your own best friend when you don’t have another friend around. Take the time to enjoy your own company when you can.
How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
I currently have a Facebook page: Jody Creates, an Instagram: @jodycreates, and a website www.jodycreates.com I love doing commission work. I am doing a lot of funky pet portraits or spirit animal paintings for folks right now. My dream is to be commissioned to paint a mural, and my BIG dream is to work for Meow Wolf art collective one day!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.jodycreates.com
- Email: theartofjodycross@gmail.com
- Instagram: @jodycreates , https://www.instagram.com/jodycreates/
- Facebook: Jody Creates, https://www.facebook.com/artofjodycross/
Image Credit:
Jody Cross (all art photos), Scott Mitchell (the photo of me with pink hair)
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