Jake Beckman is an amazing artist whom I have met on Twitter. She creates some wonderful artwork and I am very happy to have her for my Creative Minds Interview here on my blog this month! I love love love her answers -please welcome Jake Beckman:

Summary of Performances
1996-Present Renaissance Woman & Self-Realized Artist
2004 Strategic Volunteer artlink Inc. & Recovering Artist
2002-2003 President artlink Inc. & Nonperforming Artist
1993-1996 Graduate Slave & Fried Artist
1988-1993 Perplexed Undergraduate & Starving Artist
1981-1988 Electronics Guru & Frustrated Artist
-1981 Globetrotting Military Brat & Clueless Artist

What would you like to share about yourself?

I live and love life. There is always time to stop & smell the roses, view a spectacular sunset, dance in the rain, run through the forest, listen your cat’s motor, try something you have never done before, and passionately kiss your spouse. See, feel, hear, taste and touch, all of these experiences are fodder for the muse. Currently, I paint birds & binary representing humorous observations of Social Media and other forms of electronic communication. Alternatively, I am exploring mathematical abstraction in some of my new nonrepresentational work.

What color do you claim your own and why?

Scarlett Red. This shade of red has orange overtones which make it warmer than other shades; red represents fire, energy, passion & heat to me. I realize choosing red as my favorite color is a dangerous choice, because of its association with blood, but I have always loved it. It’s a brave & bold color.

Most seductive food (and drink)?

I love to cook. To me the food & spices of the world are a but another pallet from which to draw color to create new and interesting tastes. If I have to pick one, I choose chili peppers, they can be mild, sweet, cool and crisp, but I prefer the hotter ones; they warm the blood. Then you have to cool the blood down with a little margarita, but not just any margarita, one made with coarse sweaty salt on the rim, a good aged tequila, Grand Marnier, fresh tangy citrus and chunks of clear cool ice.

Describe your dream house / place, and where would it be?

I love nature; I used to think I wanted some place where I was alone and in touch with nature, but I have come to realize that is a nice place to visit, but I don’t want to live there -I like the energy & people of the city too. I’d like someplace not too warm, not too cold & relatively close to both the city & to wild places. I like mountains and hills, not the flat lands. My dream house is on the edge of the suburbs, with a big yard, butting up against some wild area perhaps. I am careless with my yard; I give my plants a good start, but after that it’s to live or die in Jake’s yard-its untidy, barely civilized-definitely NOT in a Home Owner’s Association.

I like a big patio for people to congregate, eat, drink & enjoy each other’s company, with BBQ Grill, a fire pit, a shaded pergola, random chairs and tables strewn about. As for the house itself, a large front porch is nice to sit and watch the world go by. I’d like a large open studio with North light. I like the warm feel of wood, and the cool feel of tile. In furniture, tile, wood, I have a preference for warmer lighter colors-no deep dark mahogany or black for me. I like white appliances. I like color in household accents, whether it is something utilitarian, a towel, blanket, dish, or candle, or just for pretty like art. I prefer to warm up and a room with blanket throws, art, and sculpture, but not knick knacks. I think there should be ample storage for the bric-a-brac of life.

I like clean easy lines, with limited clutter. I don’t care about things “matching.” I like a large kitchen so several people can cook in it. I like a comfortable den/living room with fluffy couches & chairs; one large enough so guests can congregate indoors when the weather is not cooperating. I like a home with space for critters. I like my public household spaces large, but my private spaces cozy.
I like my home to be lived in, I don’t want something that is a picture out of Better Homes & Gardens; I want to be able to put my feet up on the table and not feel bad about it. As for what the house is constructed from, I would prefer materials native to the environment. I would like my home to take advantage of whatever green technology that is available in the local environment as well. And as much as I love nature, I would like my home to be built in a sensible place-not in a flood plain, or precariously perched on the top of a hill.

The one accessory you can’t live without:

I love my techno-toys. I can’t decide between my high resolution DSLR camera, my laptop or my smart phone. It’s a tough choice, but I will go with my camera for now. But when the phones start taking better pictures…

What ignites your fire?

It could be anything, my muse is a flighty creature. She is often inspired by nature’s beauty, but also by science, technology & other ideas. She craves novelty, pop culture and music. Sometimes the spark is a single ember falling feather light in my mind’s eye. Sometimes it hits hard like the concussive force of an explosion. Sometimes I can feel it coming on inevitably like a thunderstorm. Sometimes it strikes suddenly, brilliant, white & hot like lightning. For me the key to fire & passion is putting in the time “doing,” ready to receive the fire when the muse passes it to me.

What’s the silliest thing you’ve ever done?

Showing up at my honors thesis defense with a Super-Soaker squirt gun and a rubber chicken filled with confetti; in addition I sang a ditty related to my physics thesis, to the tune of Delta Dawn, “Deuteron, what’s that meson you have on… “

What’s your greatest advice that the world should know about?

“Rule No 1. Don’t sweat the small stuff. Rule No 2. It’s all small stuff, see Rule No. 1.” Unfortunately the problem with all great answers is 97% of people have to learn by experience; they cannot read an answer and think, “Aha, I get it.” Therefore I won’t explain the greatest advice ever, either you get it or you don’t. So the second greatest piece of advice is, “If you don’t understand, have fun learning. It’s all good.”

Why are you the best in your area of expertise?

If you can communicate to me what it is you desire, and if it is something I am comfortable & capable of doing, we can work together. I am an acrylic painter, with sense of whimsy, strong illustration skills, technique, composition and a understanding of color. I know my materials, and I am technologically savvy as well.
My work is not solely a reflection of myself, but a conversation I am having with the rest of the world. As such do not consider altering my work to please the client “selling out,” nor do I have inhibitions with respect to commercialism. I am an independent business woman and serial entrepreneur, therefore I understand the business side of things as well. I am not indecisive, if I can do something I will let you know, and if I can’t I let you know that up front as well, but I am not afraid of a challenge either.

Where can we find you online?
Website
Twitter
Facebook
Facebook Fan Page
Linkedin
MySpace
Art Blog
Art & Business Consulting Blog

Please check out Jake’s artwork, her blogs and social media sites and don’t forget to leave a comment