The Arts
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Jack Blades – Painting Life Experiences
“P
ainting my life experiences” is truly what he has done. Imagine a handsome young man at the helm of a Yacht with canvas perched in front of him with brush in hand. The captain of this vessel is also an artist. He is painting the blue aqua and turquoise waves that surround him. I am not sure there is enough space here to cruise the life experiences of Jack Blades, but let’s try. Born on the South Jersey shore town of Brigantine, he has spent his life less than a mile from the ocean. His father (Jack Blades), also an artist, had a great influence on all four of his children. Jack and sisters Suzi, Dawn and Heather are all creatively inclined, each with their own passion. As a boy he remembers his dad painting and he was by his side watching closely. Jack was also inspired by his father’s close friends, Gary Giberson, a world class decoy and bird carver and carver John Fish. Their influence sparked the urge for Jack to transform wood into detailed art. When he was a young man he obtained his Captain’s license and hit the road to South Florida, landing in Palm
Beach Gardens. He began his career as a Yacht Captain and spent as much time on the water as off for the next couple of decades. Traveling around America’s eastern coastline and the Caribbean was a dream come true. The people he met and the places he journeyed created memories that he’ll always treasure. Along the way he put brush to canvas painting sea turtles, giant waves, pelicans, boats and incredible sunsets. Marine art was his passion and he always incorporated the nautical blues and greens that he loves so much. He and his family settled in Tiger, Georgia in 1994. Making the move with him was his mom (Ginny Blades) and sister (Suzi) and an aunt and uncle, (Judy and Dan Maxwell). Not long after moving Jack met the neighbor at the bottom of the hill, Chuck Gardner. “Chuck and some friends were sitting around a bonfire at a ‘pasture party’ one night. They were dragging this old barn wood into the fire and Chuck couldn’t stand to see it burn. He started pulling it out of the fire saying, ‘I’ll make something out of that’ and he did. Chuck Gardner began making barn wood rustic flags,” Jack said in a recent interview. After moving here and meeting Chuck, Jack began learning from him, an apprenticeship of sorts. When Chuck decided to sell his flag business, Jack was the perfect one to take it over. Today Jack creates these flags using the same methods Chuck had, producing a quality piece of weatherproof art for indoors or out. 12 - www.laurelofnortheastgeorgia.com - July 2022
