Jon Murrill is a visual artist, currently exhibiting here at the CAC virtual galley until April 30, 2021. He is a practicing artist currently located in Roanoke, Virginia. His role as an artist is also complemented by his role as educator. When he’s not creating art, he teaches evening drawing classes at his local college, Virginia Western Community College, and a variety of studio classes at Patrick Henry High School. Aside from his profession he also exhibits his drawings both regionally and nationally. The duality of being both a teacher and a creator has blessed him with a life surrounded by the arts.

Here’s Jon talking about his art, process and experience:

What art do you most identify with? If I had to choose one type of art that I most identify with currently I would say it is the constantly evolving movement of street art. While most of my work is a bit more traditional, I am fascinated by the role street art is playing in so many sub cultures around the world. By being drawn most to artwork that gives a voice to its community I am captivated by the stories many street artists tell in their work.

When did you realize you were an artist? As a child I was very blessed to be surrounded by artists as long as I can remember. My grandfather, George Murrill, was and is a brilliant artist in the Baltimore area. He never seemed to be interested in just one style or media, but was always evolving and trying his hand at new ways to create. This was great for me to see as a child and definitely had an impact on my growth as an artist. My grandmother, on my mother’s side of the family, Marguirite Rice, was also a major influence on my growth as an artist. From a very young age she took me to museums and would let me work with her in her studio when we were together. She is still a major influence on me as an artist to this day. So in short I would say that I never had a specific moment of realizing that I was an artist, but rather, I always believed that creating art was just a normal part of life.

How did you get into your art/side-gig? Over the past ten years I have found ways to evolve as an artist that have refreshed and inspired me to continue to work. After completing my Master’s of Fine Art I was fortunate enough to find jobs in the arts. Throughout my time as an educator I have found that my own work in the studio allows me to lead by example among my students

and more importantly remain connected to my own creative expression. This has allowed me to create almost daily and show my own work in exhibitions across the country.

What are you currently working on? Currently I am working on my “Inspiring Icons” series. In this series I am exploring a range of personalities that have made a lasting positive impact upon society. Through the influence of the pop art movement combined with the traditional techniques of portraiture my "inspiring icons" series brings an exciting new perspective to what charcoal portraits can achieve. My intention in this body of work is to create a platform for each portrait to inspire awareness and excitement in my community and abroad.

What food, drink, song inspires you? I would say that music, among other things, inspires me quite a bit to create. I constantly listen to a wide range of music in the studio while I work. One song that comes to mind when I think of being inspired is Macklemore’s song “Ten Thousand Hours.” The song is about dedicating yourself entirely to your work. A quote from that song that stands out to me is, “I observe Escher, I love Basquiat, I watch Keith Herring, you see I study art. The greats weren’t great because at birth they paint, the great were great because they paint a lot.

What memorable responses have you had to your work? As a portrait artist I am fortunate enough to represent many of the people I know and have meet in my community. It is such a great experience to show someone a drawing of themself after hours of time spent bringing life to their expression and their story in my portraits. In my graduate show I painted many of the maintenance and construction workers I personally knew. When I exhibited those pieces I invited each of them to view their portraits for the first time. The expressions on their faces when they saw 4 to 5 foot tall paintings of themselves on display is something I will not forget.

What’s your favorite quote? I have always been drawn to fantasy fiction and there is quote from Albus Dumbledore in the Harry Potter series that stands out to me as an artist and an educator. "Youth cannot know how age thinks and feels, but old men are guilty if they forget what it is to be young."

What role does the artist have in society? I believe that the role of the artist is to be an advocate for those individuals or stories in society that need to be given a voice. I strive in my own work to spread not only a positive message, but also shed light and attention in my portraits on those I find truly deserve to be recognized.

What’s your dream job? Being someone who is surrounded by art every day I consider myself to be pursuing my dream. I have always held the ambition to teach full time at a college, and may someday achieve that goal. However, if I was to choose to leave education my dream would then be to become a full time professional artist living amongst the history and art history of Europe.

Is there any local artist that Inspires you? If so, who and why? While I can’t say there is one local artist that I am drawn towards I would say that I am most inspired locally by the many students I interact with in my classes. It amazes me to see their creative minds work and solve problems in so many unique ways. This is both inspiring and helpful to me as an artist and something that I do not take for granted.

Why art? Art at its base level is self-expression. What better way is there to honor the world around us than representing it artistically?

You can find more about Jon and his artwork at www.murrillart.com or you can see his current work by following him Instagram @jonmdraws