September Cover ArtistCover Artist: Jason Beasley   

Cover artist Jason Beasley considers himself a “conceptual illustrator,” who pulls his inspiration from “personal experiences, fashion, symbolism, metaphors, and the female form.” Relatively new to the fine art scene, Beasley has formally shown his “Hello, Nightmare” line at two galleries and been featured as part of the Downtown Los Angeles Art Walk.

Beasley, who has been drawing since the age of three, very casually describes visual art as, “just something I liked to do.” Initially, his passion was for automotive design, which led him to illustration and graphic design. “I never considered [fine art] a career,” Beasley admits. “I got into it for personal reasons, but then I started thinking about it seriously.” Even so, he quips, “Art doesn’t have to pay to be fun.”

Of his work “Mending An Illusion,” which appears on thalo’s September cover, Beasley explains his hope of “evoking strong feelings in others” and strong desire to hear an observer say, “Wow, who did that?”

thalo: What was the first work of art you sold?

Jason Beasley: I made [the piece] “Cannibalized” for a friend and sold it to her for $300. I was actually really surprised that she wanted to pay me.

th: How did your professional career evolve?

JB: I submitted several pieces as part to a fundraiser in New York. They accepted my work and sold three of my pieces (with the proceeds going to charity), which gave me a big boost of confidence. Since then, though, I’ve had several other people commission my work.

th: What topic is most prevalent in your recent work?

JB: It’s all about being true to who you really are. The thing I really want to do with my art is bring up certain feelings and inspire self-realization [in others]. Everything I do is all about making people think for themselves, about themselves. I want to make art that inspires people to have creative thoughts and feelings. That’s the goal

th: How do you describe your work to others?

JB: Well, not a lot of people actually understand [my art] until I explain it. Luckily, I’ve found a way to express what’s meaningful to me, as well as what’s significant to others. [Art] gives me a way to translate my thoughts to others.

th: Who are the women you portray in your work?

JB: They’re actually self-portraits of me, as a woman. I leaned in psychology [in college] that people have both a male and female psyche. So, when people ask, “Who is this girl?” I just say, “Oh, that’s me.”

th: What was the inspiration behind the “Blood Rich Soil” series?

JB: It brings together feminine fashion models (a.k.a. “the fashionably rich”) and nature in a beautiful juxtaposition.

th: How did you create this month’s cover art, “Mending An Illusion”?

JB: I worked in Photoshop CS5, manipulating an illustration, to really create an explosion of color. The thought was, “if you see an opportunity, go for it…and hopefully, it will explode into something.” I tend to think of my art in terms of a good photograph; it grabs you and you’re immediately interested. Then, when you get past the thing that caught your attention, you look at all of the subtleties, breaking them down, bit by bit

th: What’s next for you?

JB: I’m applying to several different art schools and have a couple of business ventures going on, too. I really want to go to school for car design

Perhaps the more pertinent question for Beasley is, “What aren’t you doing?” The artist currently is: starting a clothing company, drafting an anime-style graphic novel, working on a short film with friends, writing a screenplay, perfecting his graphic design skills, and (in his copious free time) gardening

Most of Beasley’s visual pieces are “personal projects,” but he is available for client commissions, as well. He can be reached at JasonIsStillHere@gmail.com.  To see more of Jason's art work visit www.jasonbeasley.daportfolio.com.