1. How would you describe your work to someone seeing it for the first time?
I would hope that words like “energetic,” “impactful,” and “vibrant” come to mind. I am drawn to bold colors and dynamic contrast to bring my passion and excitement to the viewer. I also strive to bring the same energy to the viewer that I felt while painting the piece.
2. What ideas, themes, or emotions tend to show up again and again in your work?
I think music and the themes within the lyrics are incredibly inspirational. I have done series of paintings focusing on punk bands and goth bands and will continue to explore the impact that music and lyrics can have on artwork. I also draw inspiration from my travels to Japan and Korea. The energy of the large cities and the beautiful landscapes of the countryside in both countries inspires much of my abstract landscape work.
3. What inspires you most right now, and why?
The words “chaos”, “maelstrom,” and “revolt” seem to be appearing in pieces in the last couple of months. Not sure why, other than I have been listening to a lot of punk rock lately and things seem to be in a period of upheaval at the moment.
4. What does your creative process typically look like from start to finish?
For each piece it is different. But for musically inspired pieces, I listen to a lot of music, so usually I will hear something and get inspired. I will go and read the lyrics and read some articles about the band. I will make notes and think about how colors would relate to the song and lyrics and how those colors would impact an expression of what is being sung or performed. It’s not a long or tortured analysis as it is driven more by feeling and emotion. However, in the end, I think that the pieces express what the music brings to me and my life.
5. Was there a turning point when you started taking your art practice seriously? What happened?
I have been diligently painting for several years now. But I would say that the pandemic was a turning point. Days on end without work and confined to our homes. I began to work with a goal of becoming a professional artist. It is still a work in progress that I happily do every day.
6. How do you know when a piece is finished?
That is a difficult question. In some respects, I want sold pieces back so that I can improve them. But I think that there is a feeling of being comfortable with what has been done and deciding that any further work on it will dilute the impact or muddy the visual statement that is being made. Weighing heavily at times is the thought “do I want to this work to be shown to other people or in public?” If the answer is “yes” then it is most likely a finished piece. I also sometimes put work down for days or weeks and revisit it with a fresh perspective and decide whether it needs more work or whether it is deemed “completed.”
7. Favorite tool, equipment or material you can’t live without.
As a former chef, I am very comfortable using palette knives of all sizes and shapes. I like the textures that can be achieved using them. Recently, I have been drawn to brayers of varying sizes and find them useful in working in elements to larger format pieces, particularly when collage elements are included in the work.
8. What has been one of the biggest lessons you've learned as an artist so far?
The biggest and best lesson I have learned is that there is rarely a “mistake” made that cannot be covered, altered or changed to better the work. In the beginning the fear of making a mistake or “ruining” a piece caused indecisiveness and restricted creativity in many respects. Now, I view “mistakes” as an opportunity to make the piece better through creative solutions and pushing through the thought that something was destroyed or ruined.
9. What are you currently working on or exploring next?
Right now, I am beginning work on larger scale acrylic and collage pieces. I decided to work in that direction as I was seeing so much emphasis on recycling and re-useable product but at the same time seeing so much waste as if the waste was running to outpace recycling. The next couple of pieces will highlight the battle of corporations and big box retailers to win every dollar and eliminate competition—at least that is thought that is currently being explored….we’ll see.
10. Where can people find more of your work online (website and social links)?
I try very hard to keep my website at www.johnmccarthyart.com up to date but sometimes I lose track. All of my work gets posted to Instagram at @sparrow_suzume_art, so if it is a recent piece collectors can DM me for availability and pricing information.