Jeremy Vaughn

It is difficult work to be an artist. I work at my drafting table, hold one or more jobs, teach several college courses, and do what I can to continue making work.  As part of an American generation prior to my own, my father supported a family of five with a modest income and earned an Associate’s degree. As a mechanical engineer at a trucking company, he brought home dozens of large rolls of plotter paper, off-cuts of different materials, yellow canary paper, pens, drafting pens, brushes, and erasers for me to use when I was young. The materials I use now to make art refer directly to these early experiences,  when cartooning and engineering were done with manual tools. I’ve adopted these methods and techniques to develop my own visual vocabulary. 

I take great comfort and find endless fascination knowing that with a single line of ink or paint on paper or board, a dynamic space can be formed. When I sit at my table, I am not in need of a grand idea to spur this process, and sometimes being over-determined can bungle the process of discovery. My process begins with my history of experiences and asking many questions that may not have answers. Because my work is highly technical and, quite possibly decorative, I find that making drawings lends a sense of formal achievement and intentionality to my questions, but often creates a paradox in what the subject matter may portray.

Read more: http://jeremyvaughn.com/artistic-practice-and-process/