Meet John Joven | Illustrator, Fine Paint Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with John Joven and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi John, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
From the very beginning, art was always an option, a path waiting to be discovered. Drawing, design, painting—they were woven into the fabric of my earliest interests and have endured over time. I fondly recall the joy of pencil meeting paper, and when the opportunity arose, I wholeheartedly pursued formal education in illustration and painting. My inaugural paid gig surfaced amidst university studies, serving as a revelation: a testament to the possibility of carving a livelihood from my creative craft, independent and unbound.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My career as an illustrator began prior to the technological revolution that decisively impacted the field of illustration. During that era, my artistic training primarily revolved around traditional mediums such as watercolors, acrylics, and inks, which I employed both in illustrations and comics. For a period, I even delved into writing texts that I later adapted into comic strips, yielding satisfactory results that enabled me to showcase my work, participate in international magazines and events, and, above all, deepen my understanding of the medium, the work of fellow artists, and various pictorial and narrative techniques.

Upon transitioning to the digital realm, my primary aim was to replicate the visual effects achieved through conventional means, albeit in a more time- and resource-efficient manner. I experimented with scanning my traditional works and digitizing them, seeking to seamlessly integrate them with available software. Unbeknownst to me at the time, this customization of my work would later become a highly prized characteristic in subsequent larger-scale projects.

The challenges of that era primarily lay in the difficulty of sharing and promoting my work in a time when computing was still in its nascent stages. Research and documentation required significantly more time and effort.

Today, I alternate between digital work for children’s and young adult illustration projects and oil painting, where I delve into exploring diverse themes such as everyday life, pop culture, the human condition, and memory.

In addition to my illustration work, I’ve had the privilege of teaching this discipline at various universities. I’m passionate about sharing what I’ve learned and, concurrently, continuing to learn throughout the process. It’s fascinating to discover the myriad perspectives each individual brings. For me, art isn’t defined solely by the viewer’s taste but rather by the impact it elicits in them. It’s a process rich in questions, answers, and affirmations.

In conclusion, over the course of my career, I’ve learned that sharing is paramount: knowledge, experiences, anything that can enrich another individual. Having a clear objective, expressing gratitude for each stage of the process, and persevering with patience are essential. In an age dominated by social media and information overload, it’s more crucial than ever to discern where to direct our attention and time.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I’m fortunate to live in a country with a multitude of things to see and admire. For a weekend getaway, I would invite my friend on a flight to Riohacha, the northernmost tip of the country, and we would travel to La Guajira, a place that for some reason isn’t mentioned as much as it should be; there, the dunes of the vast desert meet the sea, there’s also a place where the sea hits the rock and draws an eternal rainbow, there you have a magical and surreal sunset view, as the sun slowly submerges into the horizon and paints the sky with shades of orange, pink, and purple, creating a spectacle of colors that leaves breathless those who have the privilege of witnessing it at Cerro de la Tortuga, where you can sleep outside at night in a hammock and watch the stars. In short, it’s a place where magic is real and where the heart fills with awe and gratitude at the beauty of the world that surrounds us.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Above all else, I am deeply grateful to my parents for the upbringing they provided, for seeing potential in me, and for granting me the freedom to forge my own path.

Website: www.johnjoven.art

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jjovenart?igsh=MXMxNnJmNnA4YzU3eQ==

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-joven-a829a8169/

Other: www.johnjoven.com

Image credit:
John Joven