Interview with John Powell-Jones

My first blog interview is with none other than John Powell Jones, Screen printing teaching extraordinaire!

Firstly, could you give a few words about yourself and your artistic background/printed by mono/teaching work..

I’ve been working as a freelance artist/illustrator/printmaker for the passed 6 years.

Having produced illustration for bands for a number of years I did a weekend course in screen printing to be able to make more of a viable business out of my practice. So I could offer print and design.

What was your biggest inspiration to start up your own business and studio?

My biggest inspiration to set up my own practice came from people like Seymour Chwast and Art Spiegelman, they didn’t wait for the perfect client to come along and offer them the perfect job, they created what they wanted to do.

Who has been your biggest artistic inspiration throughout your personal work?

Personal inspiration changes often,  

The people that are having a creative impact on me currently: Jonathan Routh, George Condo, Philip Guston, Philip Glass, Shackleton, Keith Harring.

A constant source of inspiration: Dylan Carlson, Daniel Clowes, Matisse, Charles Burns, Chris Ware, Richard D James, Robert Crumb, Corita Kent, John Carpenter, Miro, GNOD.

What made you decide to go into teaching?

I was approached a few years ago by the head of Illustration at Salford to come and do a talk on my practice and a couple of days of tutorials, this turned into a semi regular position. I now teach on the Illustration and Graphic Design degree at Salford and Illustration at Stockport. It’s something I really enjoy and has become an integral part of my practice.

Do you have any artistic regrets or anything you would change/do different given the opportunity?

I don’t think I have any artistic regrets, there’s been jobs I haven’t enjoyed working on and wouldn’t do again but it all comes down to experience, sometimes you need to work on something you don’t enjoy so you know to say no next time.

Do you live by any Artistic rules? Style over Substance? Quality over Quantity? or just free Reign?

I’d say try and follow the rules of Sister Corita Kent 

What does the future hold for you and Printed by Mono?

It’s hard to say what the future holds, hopefully doing the same that we’re all doing now but in a bigger studio!

And finally, what piece of advice would you give to any up and coming artist/entrepreneur?

My advice would be keep making, always!

Big thank you to John and www.printedbymono.co.uk. Go check it out if you havnt already!