My name is Jon, but many know me by J.R. the artist behind JRartworks. I am a self-taught mixed media artist based out of Orem, Utah. I have always had a passion for creating artwork and have been doing it full time since April of 2017. I specialize in traditional art, illustrating with markers, pencils, and inks. I also love experimenting with image transferring, spray paint, and acrylics on canvas, paper, or wood panels.
My artwork is inspired from things that occupy my attention, from personal experiences, pop culture, global issues, nature, subjects I find inspiring, whatever is engrained in my thoughts, then becomes my artistic focal point. My end goal is to represent whatever thought or subjects I am fixated on in that moment, through a creative physical source. I have upgraded my skillset on a consistent basis due to the sheer desire to enhance and learn through the love of experimenting. My artwork seems to “break the rules” in the art realm. My personal belief is that art SHOULD break the rules and push the boundaries to new levels. You can observe my artistic history enriched within my work, through my style. In the beginning stages of identifying myself as an artist, the tattoo shop culture heavily influenced my artistic hunger. As a young creative, I idolized skilled tattoo artists who could produce massive amounts of expression with such apparent ease. Over the first decade of sampling different artistic methods, I became attracted to calligraphy, pushing me into developing my urban street art skillset. Over the years, I have been learning how to manipulate unforgiving materials, attempting to display my inner perspective. Crafting layer upon layer of mediums through a wild fashion of creativity, my completed work results in vibrant emotion. This allows my portfolio to feature a diverse body of work.
A fun fact about me is that I previously owned a manufacturing business and after selling it to go full time with my artwork, I ended up incorporated a sense of manufacturing with my prints, learning how to make them all in house which eventually became my main source of income, supplying stores across Utah with a vast selection of art prints at an affordable price. My end goal is to take over the world by evolving into a modern type of Hallmark, but instead of producing greeting cards, creating art prints.
When you purchase my artwork, you purchase a sample of my years of experience, all the hardships, trials, learning and researching is resembled through my work, by purchasing my art you not only purchase a piece of my energy, but you support my artistic growth as well, and for that, I thank you sincerely.