Meet Artevaggio’s Featured Artist: John Paul Gagne

When did you first realize you were an artist?
My first introduction to Art was through comic books and illustration. As a young boy I was in love with the dynamic action that could be portrayed through simple line and color in comic books. I would spend hours slavishly copying the drawings of the master comic illustrators, captivated by their ability to tell stories through still images. This seemed to be the catalyst which lead me to golden age illustrators, and eventually fine artists.

Could you tell us about your work?
My current body of work explores universal themes of life, death, the fragility of beauty, and the interconnectedness of all life. Using a variety of animal life and flora and fauna imagery as analogy, I try to evoke a sense of the very transient and almost otherworldly elements in nature.

What artists have influenced your work?
Right now a lot of my work is influenced by mostly contemporary painters. Although I do have a great love for realists and naturalists of the past, in recent years I’ve grown fond of contemporary painters and illustrators such as James Jean, Jon Foster, Brad Kunkle, Marco Mazzoni, and Martin Wittfooth just to name a few.

What is your creative inspiration?
Inspiration for me seems to come from some of our most ancient sources. Since image making began, human beings have been depicting the natural world in weird and wonderful ways. To look back and see such a primordial connection from then to now is very inspiring.

What other interests do you have besides creating art?
Besides art I’m an avid reader of fiction, fantasy, and especially science fiction.

What advice would you give to a new artist?
For any young Artist I would say draw draw draw, and paint paint paint. Nothing can make up for hours and hours of practice. Make mistakes and learn from them. Find artists who inspire you and copy their work, learn how they overcame their mistakes and persevered.

Could you give some advice about the business side of being an artist?
I’m not exceptionally business savvy myself, but that being said I would just try to remain persistent and just keep getting you work out there as much as you can, to as many audiences as you can. Beyond this, try to be consistent and professional in everything you do.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years from now?
In 10 years I hope to be still creating and painting, although it’s hard to say just what those images might look like. I tend to feel the need to re-invent myself artistically from time to time, so I don’t think even I know what the future holds. I would also hope to be teaching some workshops in the near future as that has always been an exciting and rewarding experience for me.

CLICK HERE to connect with John on his Facebook page.