Jay M. Kreighbaum
About Jay Kreighbaum. My art is a journey of discovery in a partnership with source; “that which skips ahead my trace.” My work is spiritual and I enter it with reverence and gratitude for the privilege of creating.
Category: Business
Discipline: Visual arts
Program Affiliations: Open Studio Tours Artist | Open Studios Tour 2023
About Jay M. Kreighbaum
I live and create here in Tucson. I grew up all over America and Europe, following my father’s career in the Army and then my own in the Air Force. I started drawing when I was 13, and have kept at it. I received a BFA (Painting & Drawing) from North Texas University in 1982. I did not have the courage then to become a “starving artist." Instead, I entered the Air Force and flew fighters for 12 years and then did strategy and future capabilities work. I retired in 2011, and came to Tucson to work at Raytheon. I retired last year (2022), to pursue my deferred career (passion) in art.
My hero as a boy was Leonardo Da Vinci, because he pursued both Art and Science. I have always held a belief that pursuing these opposite disciplines, makes for a richer and more balanced whole. The tension of opposites and their accommodation, merging, and resolution is a common theme in my work.
My heartfelt conviction after producing 200 works - over 55 years is a responsibility to share my art. Please join me for a gallery and studio tour.
JAY KREIGHBAUM
Preferred Pronouns: None
jkgalluido@gmail.com
7034190121
Portrait of Lynn
This is a portrait of my wife Lynn, done in Jan 2020 at home. I worked from a photograph that I was fond of taken in France. The method I use is to print out an 8×11 color photograph as well as a black and white one, and place them on either side of the portrait paper. These both help me to compose the work and attempt to get the values right.
It is on portrait paper (25×19), and I used charcoal, chalk, smudge sticks, and colored pencils to complete it.
I included this piece to show others that I can draw realistic subjects. Many people have a predisposition for representative work, and I understand that. What I hope may happen for those who favor realistic/representative art, seeing I can draw a portrait, is they become more willing to view the abstract work I do. if they follow a logic of saying, if he can do the portraits with precision and realism, perhaps he is visiting these same skills on the abstract work and it merits another look.
Star Base Grissom
This is an example of what could be called a discovery piece. This is where I do not start with any intent. I simply start drawing with 0.3 Micron pens, and a 0.3 mechanical pencil, Mono Zero eraser and colored pens. I wait for a figure, a subject to emerge from the drawing, and once I recognize it, I become more intentionally minded to complete it.
I start the work on 11×17 Bristol Paper (white). And from the very beginning as I get completion points, I scan them in and create a digital file. I then import the file into Photoshop.
Once I have the piece nearly complete, I sometimes create parts from what I already have and insert them into the work at a different scale and orientation. This piece is the 1st in what is now a 6 part series chronicling the travels and adventures of Rocket Bear & Wedge. It is the origination of the characters “Rocket Bear & Wedge” (a welded two ship); see if you can find them in this piece and in The New Garden as well. 5 of the 6 in the series are on display in the gallery with pride of place.
This piece is in honor of Apollo 1 and the accident on the gantry when all three (White, Grissom, and Chaffee) of the astronauts died. I remember it happening when I was a boy of 11 in Salina KS, and it left an impression on me of sadness and respect for the astronauts. I am particularly fond of Buzz Grissom, and named the Star Base in his honor. On the bottom left of the piece I have placed the NASA Apollo One badge.
The New Garden
This did not start with any intent. I drew the left side multi-aspect flower first, and originally had the right side flower coming out of it at the bottom at a 45 degree angle. This was not a good design, and I surgically separated the two flowers with an Xacto knife. The subject emerged early in this piece. I saw the flowers and then pursued connecting them both explicitly with the green and gold strings, and underground. The underground was probably inspired from watching Fantastic Fungi, and how mushrooms communicate and network.
It was done on white Bristol paper and I scan in the work as I go, creating a digital record. I then import them into Photoshop to complete them.
In this piece are a bunch of good examples of how I calve off parts from the original composition, and have them reappear in different places in the work - expanding the composition.
