John McLaughlin

JOHN MCLAUGHLIN, U.S.

ART OF THIS WORLD: What inspires your work, and does the inspiration translate differently depending on the medium?
JOHN MCLAUGHLIN: I am inspired by many artists from the past and present but most of my work comes from observing nature and listening to music. I am a life long walker and observer of the landscape. And one of my great pleasures is to go to the Kerrytown Concert House in nearby Ann Arbor to hear live free form jazz played. This always inspires me to push the boundaries of my work. I don't think this translates differently in any of the mediums I use.

AOTW: Tell us about your creative process.
JM: My creative process is to draw and paint every day. I rarely have a creative block because I work at the pictures whether they turn out good or bad. I don't know if this is different from other artists but I can see the image or line on the paper or canvas before I make it.. So all I'm really doing is filling in the drawing. Like using crayons to color between the lines of a coloring book. This may be a little strange but it's how I work.

AOTW: How has your work progressed throughout the years?
JM: I hope my technique has gotten better over the years, just from experience using the different tools and knowing what to expect from them. If there has been a distinct progression I would say that my work has grown subsequently larger in size. This took a long time for me to reconcile with the image scale to the size of the paper or canvas. For years I only worked in smaller format on paper and it was a gradual progression to envision the drawing forms on a larger canvas.

AOTW: What is your favorite form of expression in terms of medium?
JM: My favorite form of expression would be the common graphite pencil. I love the way it responds to paper. It is always a thrill for me to recognize those first marks I make.

AOTW: How do you start a painting?
JM: I start a painting by establishing a good nuetral background color. Usually tan or beige or an off yellow. This is important to me because I don't like the blank white canvas and because I can see the images in my mind more clearly against a tinted background.

AOTW: Does your camera accompany you where ever you go or do you set out to specifically take photographs?
JM: I don't take pictures any more with my camera. I built my own darkroom in 1982 and did all my own black and white developing and printing. The last photographic print I made was in 2004. It became harder to acquire supplies and work in this "old fashioned" method with the growing digital technology. I feel that all my years with photography helped me immensely with my art work. From the composition to black and white shading. Since I am a self taught artist I look at it as my years of schooling and training.

AOTW: How often are you working in your studio?
JM: I work every day in my studio. I live in a 1865 Michigan farm house and my work area (studio sounds too elaborate) is a corner of my very rustic basement. I have a small heater and some lights and I don't have to worry about being messy. My cat Sophie keeps me safe from the mice. It works for me.

AOTW: Tell us about the last art show you attended, your thoughts about what brought you to it, and the feelings that you left with regarding the art.
JM: I don't attend many art shows. I truly am the outsider artist. That's why I use the name drawinghermit, not especially by choice. I am very hard of hearing so I avoid a lot of the public art world scene. I do go to as many art museums around the country that I can. My last visit was to the new Taubman Museum in Roanoke Virginia. I am always inspired and more ready to work on my own stuff after visiting a museum. At our nearby Detroit Institute of Arts we have one of my favorite paintings by Matisse (The Window) that I must go and see every few months. Inspiring work by the master.

AOTW: What qualities in art inspire you?
JM: I believe a big misconception with the general public is that abstract or non-representational art is easy to do. To me it is more difficult than representational because there is no technique to "hide" behind. The color, line, form etc., itself must resonate with the viewer.

AOTW: Is there a preferred time of day during which you are at your best when working and if so, when is it?
JM: I would say I prefer to work in the morning. I often dream of what my next move on the canvas will be. This way it is fresh in my memory. I prefer the afternoon for reading and the computer.

AOTW: Do you have experience playing a musical instrument and if so what kind?
JM: I don't play any musical instrument but always I wish I could play the piano. I love and am inspired by music.

AOTW: Who or what has had the greatest influence on you as an artist?
JM: I would say the greatest influence on me as an artist is a good friend of mine who encouraged me to get my work out into the world. I have created art all my life but never had the confidence, or courage to show it. Even though I have received awards and have been in a few art shows through the years she gave me the confidence to make it my only profession. And she won't like me mentioning this.

AOTW: What career option would you consider if not one in art?
JM: If not an artist I always wanted to be an architect. But I'm not smart enough.

AOTW: What do you do when not making art?
JM: When not creating art I like to read, hike, work in my yard, watch baseball and observe my cat.

AOTW: How do you feel about being an artist during the internet age?
JM: I love being an artist during the internet age. With my hearing loss emails are my saviors. I sell a few pieces each week on ebay under drawinghermit and have gained collectors all over the world. From a bank president in France, a rock and roll musician in LA, to a college professor in Maryland. I couldn't have done it without the internet.

AOTW: If there is one, what is the greatest challenge you face as a professional artist?
JM: The greatest challenge for me now as an artist is to gain a good traditional art gallery representatoin. One that suits my work. I have not had much luck with this so far.

AOTW: Do you have personal goals as an artist and would you share them with us?
JM: My personal goal as an artist is to have my work in the Museum of Modern Art in N.Y. Why not set a high goal? But realistically, just to have people collect and enjoy my work. And a few dollars along the way would help.

AOTW: What other thoughts about yourself and your art would you like to offer?
JM: My personal thoughts on being an artist: I really never chose to be an artist, it seemed to choose me. I wouldn't wish this on anyone. It's not a glamorous life. You will never gain any recognition, will have rejection, be scorned, ridiculed, made fun of, not sell any work, live poorly, and will not have a "real job". Why would anyone wish for this? Good artists have what I call the sensitive antenna. It's always on, it can't be shut off. I am sensitive to what others say even though I say I'm not. I'm always noticing things that others don't, and they don't really care about. I seem to live in my own little world. So this can be discouraging. But then I make that next really good painting and the thrill is unbelievable. It makes it all worthwhile. The world seems perfect. If only for a few days.

AOTW: Thanks, John.