About the Artist
Bio:
Derek Jones is currently a student at Chapman University in Orange, California, majoring in studio art. He is from Bellingham, WA, a small city on the water, close to the border with Canada. Outside of his life as an artist, he is part of Chapman's swim and dive team, which takes up most of his time. However, when he has free time, he enjoys exploring the LA area by the metro system.
Statement:
In my process of creating art, ideas come fast, but when bringing that idea to life, I work slowly. Working slowly allows time for the original idea to evolve, resulting in a finished piece that is never quite the same as the original concept.
Often, in my process of creating art, I identify a subject in my life and explore it through art. An example of this is my senior year AP and design portfolio, in which I wanted to connect the two major parts of my life, which were art and swimming. I did this by drawing a series of portraits of Olympic swimmers, both before and after their races, to capture their deep emotion in these moments.
Other areas of interest I have pursued in the past include whales and hands. I chose to depict whales in my art for the ironic meaning they hold for me. Such a large creature, and yet we view it as such a graceful thing; two things that rarely go together. My interest in depicting hands in my art stemmed from my desire for the challenge of drawing them. However, it soon evolved to me realizing the meaning I can evoke by drawing hands.
In all of these areas of exploration, a key part of my process is trying various media to learn how to capture and express my intent. Because of that, I have no set medium or style I choose to work with. The meaning and emotion I wish to express in the art are constantly changing, and thus so is the medium I choose to use.
By using art to express different parts of my life, I’ve found that it is about interpreting human experiences.
My greatest artistic achievement to date has been receiving my high school’s art department senior merit award in the spring of 2025.
