Artists Interview Artists: Jean Hutter

Jean Hutter, an artist and blogger from Lakewood, NJ, participates in the Artists Interview Artists Project. Below Jean responds to another artist's five questions (Mary Stebbins Taitt from Grosse Pointe Farms, MI). In order to participate, Jean had to provide me with five questions for some other artist to answer. The assigning of questions to artists is completely random. If you're an artist and interested in participating, let me know.

Level Two Meditation
Mixed Media
30" x 22"
2005

1. What nourishes your creativity?

Being around other creative people, exchanging ideas, techniques, talking art and just enjoying the energy that flows really nourishes my creativity. I usually do a Painter’s Week twice a year (spring and fall) and being away from home and the daily chores and just being able to completely focus on my art is a very creative experience. I usually come away with some good paintings and a ton of ideas. I also feel that just seeing good art – in museums, galleries, shows and art magazines feeds my creative soul and pushes me in new directions.

2. Is there such a thing as a non-artist and if so, how does an artist differ from a non-artist? (What makes a person an artist? Or, what defines an artist?)

I do believe there is such a thing as an artist and non-artist. The difference is in the way we see things – like cast shadows, values, color – we are always seeing design and abstract shapes. Having said this – my husband, who I think of as a non artist, can look at one of my paintings and just know if there is something off – he may not know what it is but just that something is not working – sometimes it is something even I cannot see. What makes a person an artist is making art – in whatever form that may be for them.

3. What do you love most and/or hate most about being an artist?

What I love most is the act of creating – what I hate most is marketing or the promoting of myself and my art.

4. How long have you considered yourself an artist and what made you feel like one?

I have always considered myself an artist although I may not have verbalized it. For me feeling like one has come about since I lost my “real” job and decided to try to make my living selling my paintings; although I do not feel sales make an artist. I guess having to pay bills by selling has made being an artist more of a profession for me rather than a nice pass time.

5. How would you describe your most satisfying experience as an artist?

I have won awards, been in shows and sold paintings and have felt a degree of satisfaction but making art is not, at least for me, a satisfying experience. I get bored easily and I am always searching for something new. I will paint abstract, mixed media, work with collage, do realistic landscapes and paint the figure. I guess my satisfaction comes in the act of creating or making art, although I do not always get a satisfactory result. I love the feel of pushing paint around on a canvas or paper - I like to use mixed media and really mix things up, get my hands dirty - for me that is being an artist - but I always feel my best paintings are to come. I think if you get “satisfied” with your work it will get stale and predictable and you will not continue to grow as an artist.

Open Book
Mixed Media with Collage
10" x 12"
2006

Previous Interviews:
Juno Doran (questions by James W. Bailey)
Josh Feldman (questions by Joseph Barbaccia)
Lisa Stephenson (questions by Whitney Lynn)
Joseph Barbaccia (questions by Josh Feldman)
James W. Bailey (questions by Matt Hollis)
Matt Hollis (questions by Juno Doran)
Carol Es (questions by James Leonard)
Alexandra Silverthorne (questions by Ami Lahoff)
Christine Buckton Tillman (questions by Carol Es)
Douglas Witmer (questions by Alexandra Silverthorne)
Sky Pape (questions by Douglas Witmer)
Whitney Lynn (questions by Lisa Stephenson)
Heather Levy (questions by Joanne Greenbaum)
Heather Lowe (questions by Samantha Wolov)
Samantha Wolov (questions by Heather Levy)
Timothy McClellan (questions by Heather Lowe)
James Leonard (questions by Sky Pape)
Joanne Greenbaum (questions by Timothy McClellan)
Richard Kooyman (questions by Robert Walton)
Candy Keegan (questions by Warren Craghead)
Robert Walton (questions by Candy Keegan)
John M. Adams (questions by Richard Kooyman)
Prescott Moore Lassman (questions by Mary Addison Hackett)
Mary Addison Hackett (questions by Prescott Moore Lassman)
Andrew Wodzianski (questions by Nathan Manuel & D.Billy)
Nathan Manuel & D.Billy (questions by Andrew Wodzianski)
Michael Janis (questions by Scott Listfield)
Scott Listfield (questions by Michael Janis)
F. Lennox Campello (questions by Sean Hennessy)
Matt Andrade (questions by Adrian Parsons)
Sean Hennessy (questions by F. Lennox Campello)
George Wayne (questions by Michelle McAuliffe)
Eridanus Sellen (questions by Anabela Jevtovic)
Anabela Jevtovic (questions by Eridanus Sellen)
Marianela de la Hoz (questions by A.B. Miner)
Martin Henry (questions by Barbara Johnson-Gresser)
A.B. Miner (questions by George Wayne)
Barbara Johnson-Gresser (questions by Martin Henry)
Adrian Parsons (questions by Matt Andrade)
Heather Schmaedeke (questions by Patricia Hartnett)
Anthony Easton (questions by Melissa Kennedy)
Roz Leibowitz (questions by Anthony Easton)
Melissa Kennedy (questions by Tracy Lee)
Michelle McAuliffe (questions by Marianela de la Hoz)
Tim Folzenlogen (questions by Jason Hanasik)
Rob Willms (questions by Dott Schneider)
Marsha Stein (questions by Gregg Chadwick)
Jason Hanasik (questions by Tim Folzenlogen)
John LeKay (questions by Rosa Naparstek)
Brock Neilson (questions by Richard Vosseller)
Rosa Naparstek (questions by Howard Salmon)
Patricia Hartnett (questions by Verta Reyes)
William Andrews (questions by Bean Gilsdorf)
Howard Salmon (questions by John LeKay)
Corey Amaro (questions by Jason Dean and Matt Nash)
Michael Grayeagle (questions by Chris Ashley)
Marion Boddy-Evans (questions by Deborah Fisher)
Richard Vosseller (questions by Brock Neilson)
Deborah Fisher (questions by Corey Amaro)
Eileen Wold (questions by Michael Grayeagle)
Rob Myers (questions by William Andrews)
Gregg Chadwick (questions by Marsha Stein)
Chris Ashley (questions by Eileen Wold)
Verta Reyes (questions by Heather Schmaedeke)
Jason Dean & Matt Nash (questions by Rob Myers)
Mary Taitt (questions by Adriane Giberson)
Adriane Giberson (questions by Peter Ferko)
Peter Ferko (questions by Amethyst Begley)
Susan Schwake-Larochelle (questions by Jean Hutter)

Comments

[a collage a day]

Very cool idea !!

r.