About
I view myself as a perceptual artist. I’m very interested in what I’ve seen and what I remember about what I have seen. The back and forth interplay between observation, when I’m in front of my subject, and memory, when I’m back in my studio, keeps me alert to my imagination. My imagination is the part of me that seems to know what to do next when I’m creating.
The subjects I’ve chosen vary between figures, landscapes, and purely invented spaces. The common thread is my pursuit of a question or problem as I paint and draw. I’ve recently been questioning vulnerability and nudity. I’m also looking at how human activity shapes the forests and rivers near my home.
I have a BA in Art and Art History with an emphasis on painting and drawing. I've studied at Cal Poly, Pomona, The University of New Mexico, and the Art Institute of Chicago. I'm a former member of the Chicago Printmakers' Collaborative. I've resided in Portland since 2006. In 2023, I transitioned out of a career in film/ animation and returned to fine art painting and drawing after a bit of a hiatus.
Jerry Svoboda