Cover Artist - Jack Blades

The Arts On Our Cover

Jack Blades – Painting Life Experiences

“Painting 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.

Jack doesn’t sit still for long, he lives a very active life. He is putting his art first these days, creating in his “workshop” most days. He has picked up some side jobs as a handyman which is fitting because he can build, fix, and do almost anything that is asked of him. “When I am working, my mind is on what I have going on in the shop and what I want to make next,” Jack said. Creativity is not in short supply, in fact, I get the impression that there aren’t enough hours in the day to complete all of the projects he thinks of. Jack began as an oil painter but found he lacked the patience to wait weeks for a painting to completely dry. He explored other mediums but settled on painting on canvas and wood with acrylics. He paints in bright bold colors, always including oceanic hues. For now Jack has traded ocean shores for lake shores and his yacht for a mountain cabin. He is replacing sea turtles with flora and fauna native to the foothills of the Appalachian mountains. He sees bears and barns in his future artwork. He has added benches and wakeboards to his offerings and most all of his art is suitable

for outdoors as well, making it great for porch and boathouse art. “I love commissions and am game for whatever someone has in mind. His art is on display at Gallery 441 in the Heart of Dillard or you may contact the artist directly by calling 561398-1113 or you may e-mail jackbladesart@gmail. com. His work is also featured on his Instagram (@woodflagartstudio or @jackbladesart). Jack will also attend the upcoming Summertime Mountain Artisans Arts and Crafts Show in Cullowhee, North Carolina on July 1 and The Highlands Mountain Top Art Show in Highlands, North Carolina August 27. Most Saturday mornings Jack is manning his booth at the Clayton Farmer’s Market by the Northeast Georgia Food Bank on Highway 441 in Clayton.

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