Daily Inspiration: Meet Jonathan Machen

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jonathan Machen.

Hi Jonathan, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I am the son of Judith Van Etten and Donald Machen. My father was an engineer who worked at Los Alamos Labs in New Mexico in the late 60’s and into the 80’s. My mother is a historian.

I’m a product of that culture and environment; an ‘Atomic City kid’, who grew up alongside scientists and the incredible wilderness of the Pajarito Plateau. This is the key to understanding the precision and discipline of how I express my view of the world around me: Beauty and observation.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I have been incredibly blessed with the support of my parents and my family in my pursuit of the visual arts. Of course, over the years, I have had to support myself with jobs other than art, but I have always kept the discipline of my craft at the forefront.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I love to draw what is in front of me, combining that with what I am feeling about the place I am sketching. The meditative discipline of ‘seeing’, as exemplified by Frederick Franck in his book, ‘The Zen of Seeing’, has been a major influence of mine.

Additionally, I have a love of architecture. My craft of drawing on location has changed over the years as I have become more able to take in large landscapes, including architectural landscapes, in my plein-air drawing sessions.

I now draw on large wood panels that I can then paint directly on later, preserving the integrity of the initial drawing while developing a more finished painting. I have also made many time-lapse videos of my outside drawings, and I combine that with music have written and recorded.

We’d love to hear about how you think about risk-taking.
I love the risk of starting large, complicated sketches on location, preferably with people milling about. The drawing site becomes my ‘office’ as I work through the challenges of perspective and value. I love talking to people while doing my on-site sketches.

When thinking about risk-taking, there is also the meta-risk of choosing art as a career; given that it is not a guaranteed road to success. Ultimately, I consider success as whether or not I have spent my time wisely on the planet, using the resources I was born with.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.jonathanmachen.art and www.jonathanmachen.com
• Instagram: @jonathanmachen
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wildmachen/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVdU8Rn4EYBm2fg50j7OaHg and https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCep-1aiOWYCBc4W_H_DkgYg