Coming from the great New York City, STAMP sit downs with Jeremy Deveraturda.  Check out our extended conversation and some incredible art!

STAMP: Introduce yourself. What is something you want the world to know about you?
Jeremy: My name is Jeremy and I like to paint. I live and work in New York City and I’m constantly inspired by my surroundings.

STAMP: When did you become interested in art?
Jeremy: I would love to say “Ever since I was a baby I knew I’d become an artist one day.” Honestly, I didn’t decide to move into a creative field until college, and even then, I thought I was going to end up in graphic design. After a year of designing layouts and tinkering with typography I realized I didn’t love it as much as I thought I would and gave painting a try. It was when I picked up a brush I thought, “Yeah! I love this more”, and several years later, I still do.

STAMP: What is your medium of choice and why?
Jeremy: Watercolor was my first medium that I painted in and it’ll always take a special place. Nothing beats a wet brush charged with pigment as it makes contact to a canvas. Nowadays, I paint primarily in Photoshop. My first New York apartment was a cozy 350 sq feet and it couldn’t hold all the messy paints and canvases and Photoshop became so damn convenient. Even though I now live in a roomier place, I’ve grown to love Photoshop as a tool for painting.

STAMP:  Did you study at an art school? If so which one and how was that experience? If not, do you wish you did?
Jeremy: I graduated art school in 2005 from The School of Visual Arts in New York. It was an incredible experience. I was learning how to navigate New York City and at the same time, in awe of everything: thousands of art school students that shared similar interests, millions of towering buildings, and there was just insane energy all around.

STAMP:  How were you able to take your love for art and make it into a career?
Jeremy: Turning art into a career is probably one of the most difficult things to do unless you’re very lucky and have your big break early on. I have a day career busy publishing company where I work as a photo retoucher. It has proven to be extremely beneficial. Working for years as a photo retoucher has helped train my eye to be more critical. I also have my weekend career where I continue to promote myself as an illustrator and pick up a few freelance opportunities along the way. It’s kind of neat actually, even though they’re separate jobs, they overlap each other: Knowing how to paint helps me as a photo retoucher and spotting and fixing flaws in photographs has helped me become more critical on my own work.

STAMP: You have a very recognizable style. Do you find it challenging to infuse this signature look with your diverse range of clients?
Jeremy: It can be a challenge, but at the same time, the reason why clients approach me is that my style works for them. I didn’t always think that way though. When I was in art school I looked at what was trendy in illustration and noticed a lot of successful illustrators were creating work that was flat shaded and in a comic book style. It was everywhere — and I thought, Ah crap, that isn’t me at all. But as my art education grew and as my style evolved, I became more comfortable in the way that I paint.

STAMP: Have you ever felt limited or trapped by your style? With so much pressure on mainstream art, have you felt peer pressured into conforming?
Jeremy: One of the biggest traps any artist can fall into is that they conform to a style they’re not comfortable with. Successful artists, in my opinion, are the ones who are focused on what they do well. If a client asked me to paint them a piece that looked like Norman Rockwell I couldn’t do it. Not only would I be doing my client a disservice, but myself as well, since forcing a way of painting that’s not natural would probably come out artificial and executed poorly.

STAMP: Can you remember the first piece you ever did and what inspired you to do it?
Jeremy: My first finished piece was a 9/11 painting. It wasn’t too long after that September when my watercolor teacher, Terri McNichol, gave me a canvas that measured 10 feet by 8 feet and asked [me] to respond through art. I painted a large figure in deep cadmium reds and it eventually hung in a local gallery, which caught the attention of a local news channel. The painting was shown on a 9/11 documentary program and I realized that getting a reaction from my work is pretty damn cool.

STAMP: When a clients approaches you for a project, what factors, enter into your decision to take it (besides money)?
Jeremy: An important factor for accepting new work is how clear the expectations are from the client. I love when clients are completely upfront in what they want. That way there’s no guessing and there’s very little room for error – especially under tight deadlines.

STAMP: Are there any clients you wish to work with, that you haven’t already?
Jeremy: Oh, yes, plenty! I would love to create illustrations for Time Magazine, I love work with a slight political edge and I think it allows [me] to create dramatic pieces.

STAMP: What have been your favorite projects to work on to date? Why?
Jeremy: It was a political piece, for UCLA Magazine. They ran a story called “Future of Freedom” and approached me for creating an illustration that was J.M.W Turner inspired. I love Turner, he was the master of light and drama, and I worked with Charlie Hess, the art director, in creating the Statue of Liberty drowning under a tide. It was just an awesome experience. Charlie Hess knew exactly what he wanted and knew the style that I work in. There were very few, if any, revisions and the Future of Freedom illustration ran full page.

STAMP: Have you ever shown in galleries? If so, what was the experience like? If not, how come?
Jeremy: I’ve been fortunate enough to have my work shown in galleries in New York City and it’s so great to see a diverse range of people come up to my work. The best experience was getting in the Society of Illustrators one year and being surrounded by awesome and overwhelming talent.

STAMP: What role do you feel the internet has on art? Positive or negative?
Jeremy: I think the internet has an important role for art – it helps bridge communities together and acts as a terrific catalyst for inspiration and discussion. And for me, looking at all these online galleries helps shrink the art world a little bit. I’ve discovered so many artists out there, from the past and contemporary, and it’s then you truly realize there’s just so much see and I’m constantly in awe.

STAMP: Do you feel like your work is evolving?
Jeremy: Hopefully! I remember reading something, somewhere, if you’re doing the same type of artwork [as] the year before, you’re not learning. Forcibly, I try to evolve by working harder and smarter, and trying different techniques.

STAMP: What advice would you give a young artist just starting or trying to get started?
Jeremy: Go for it. Having a career in art is not easy, it’s not overly lucrative and it’s not glamorous. But creating art can be very rewarding, and knowing that you can create work that people really enjoy is something very special.

STAMP:  What can we expect in the future from you?
Jeremy: Bigger, better and smarter work.

STAMP:  Do you agree with the overall objective of STAMP Magazine? Why or Why Not?
Jeremy: Absolutely! Thank you Jason for giving artists a chance to showcase their work and let them know a little bit on who they are. Promotion is always important regardless if you’re new or an experienced artist. I look forward to seeing who else lands in STAMP!

Want to see more of Jeremy’s work? email: jeremy@funlabor.com   portfolio: http://www.funlabor.com blog: http://paintmybrainsout.blogspot.com