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Jake Dean

@jakedeanart

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🎨 Artist | 🦁 CS Lewis Fan | ✍️ Aspiring Writer | 📍Sandy, Utah

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Happy birthday Jack. You have kept my imagination active and my faith in tact. I’ve mentioned before that I’m writing a coming of age fantasy novel. I’m not doing it because I’m confident it will get published but because it’s an idea I’d had for more than ten years and I have to get it out of my head. My imagination continues to be baptized by the incredible mind and faith of individuals like CS Lewis. In his essay “From Other Worlds” he wrote “To be concerned about being grown up, to admire the grown up because it is grown up, to blush at the suspicion of being childish; these things are the marks of childhood and adolescence…When I was ten, I read fairy tales in secret and would have been ashamed if I had been found doing so. Now that I am fifty I read them openly. When I became a man I put away childish things, including the fear of childishness and the desire to be very grown up.” May we never be ashamed to have the imagination of children #cslewisreadingday @pintswithjack by @jakedeanart

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Last night I was able to display a couple of paintings at the Latter-Day Saints Earth Stewardship Fall Forum at UVU. The theme was “This Beautiful World: Preserving Our Planet for Future Generations”. I met some talented and wise individuals and learned more about indigenous people and the importance of considering how our actions can positively and negatively impact future generations. I feel strongly that much of what we’re exposed to in our day is unnecessarily toxic and we need to be proactive to help institute change. This event helped remind me of the impact each of us can have and the purpose is to help improve the world for our children. Thanks @ldsearthstewardship for the opportunity and thanks @jensenej1 for encouraging me to submit my artwork. #watercolor taken in UVU by @jakedeanart

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I finished this small watercolor last month of Hanauma Bay, O’ahu from our trip last summer. I didn’t post it because I felt it wasn’t finished. Specifically the trees and vegetation at the bottom. I’m going to attempt to add more contrast there. Have you ever “finished” creating something and feel it still lacks something? I also wanted to give an update: Most of my creative time lately hasn’t been painting but has been two fold: 1) slowly researching, preparing, and writing my fantasy fiction novel, and 2) consuming literature and art that helps open myself up to insight, inspiration, and guidance. I’m reading Julia Cameron’s “The Artist’s Way” and although I’m struggling following it to the letter, I’m finding value in the practices she recommends. I’d love feedback if you’ve read the book. #hanaumabay #hawaii #watercolor @juliacameronlive by @jakedeanart

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2 years ago

This is Poole’s Mill Park in Forsyth County, Georgia. We were visiting family in Gainesville which is about 30 miles east and they introduced us to this incredible place with some fun natural rock slides which the kids enjoyed.

When I went down one of the slides, I landed on a large rock 🪨 which resulted in a purple bruise larger than my hand. It kind of matched some of the colors in this painting 😂.

I loved how the dark greens and browns in the water contrasted with the lighter value rocks. The white, frothy, bubbly foam was something I struggled with and honestly I’m not so sure I captured it.

I actually broke an unspoken watercolor rule: I used some white paint. I’m going to do a separate post on that topic 😀.

Despite my hesitation I placed it in a frame, hung it on the wall, and took a few steps back. I liked it a lot more when I observed it from a short distance. It was also a nice contrast to the paintings around it.

It was a necessary reminder that space can provide clarity. #watercolorpainting #watercolor #georgia #art taken in Pooles Mill Park by @jakedeanart

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3 years ago

This was another one from my #Oregon series. 🏔️🌊 I painted #haystackrock a bunch of times. It has such a fun shape. Maybe this is drawn or painted as much as Utah’s Delicate Arch is, but I can’t get enough of either! #watercolorpainting taken in Haystack Rock, Cannon Beach, Oregon. by @jakedeanart

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🥳 🎺 “New Orleans Square” 22 x 30 inch watercolor on 300 lb hot press. 🎨 This is my favorite part of Disneyland. Things have changed a bit since I painted it but as Walt Disney once famously said “Disneyland will never be completed. It will continue to grow as long as there is imagination left in the world”. If I had my way, I’d live there. My happiest moments and core memories were created in those parks. Also, I put my family in the painting, and I’m the caricature artist 😊
@disneyland
#neworleanssquare
#bluebayou #watercolorpainting taken in Disneyland by @jakedeanart

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Part of creating is accepting that you may not make a lot of obvious progress, but if you’re putting in the time then you’re learning. It takes 10,000 hours of dedicated practice to achieve mastery. Maybe my new mantra will help you: “it’s a great day to create something imperfect”. 🎨 #art #watercolorpainting #watercolorart #hanaumabay #hawaii taken in Sandy, Utah by @jakedeanart

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This was part of my “rust” phase. When the kids were little they liked to go to Wheeler Farm. This old Dodge truck used to sit in the field. It’s fun to paint broken things, when in actual life I have an obsession with order. To me, that’s why art is so important. It helps us break free from life and accept new realities. taken in Sandy, Utah by @jakedeanart

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This is a watercolor I did a while back from our 2017 trip to Oregon. It’s Lucy playing in the sand at Hobbit Beach.

Today I worked on a small one of Hanauma Bay on O’ahu. Although I had fun, I didn’t make much progress. The reason? Lucy. She usually sits and does art with me which doubles my painting time. However this time she did some crafts and wanted me to watch her play hand puppets 😂. Honestly it was pretty frustrating, but at the same time I realized how much I value the time with her.

It reminded me what @ryanholiday said in The Daily Dad. He was frustrated that his child kept going from game to game and room to room when he realized HE is the toy. “What they want is to play with you —they don’t want to be given a puppet, they want to pull your puppet strings”. It reminded me of all the moments when my other two kids were smaller and did the same thing. Those are wonderful memories.

So I’m learning to love being the toy.

#oregon #hobbitbeach #creativejourney #art #watercolor #artinspiration #watercolorart taken in Sandy, Utah by @jakedeanart

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I am Groot. 🌱 Sometimes it’s fun to draw a subject that makes you smile the whole time. This was a gift for a friend 😊#watercolor #watercolorpencil @guardiansofthegalaxy #fanart #grootart taken in Sandy, Utah by @jakedeanart

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🦁 September 7th marked the 70th anniversary of the publication of my favorite Chronicles of Narnia book: The Silver Chair. Pauline Baynes’ illustration of the chair in the book is fun, but I decided to take a different approach 🤷🏻‍♂️.

Don’t mind the technical imperfections, especially the shadow. I wanted to give the impression of the ominous nature of the chair.

Many times when I sit down to create art, I feel an equal balance between having fun and feeling uncomfortable. Learning you don’t know how to do some things is painful. But letting go of your inhibitions can be exciting.

📚 Have you read The Silver Chair? How do you imagine the chair? #Narnia #TheSilverChair #ArtisticInspiration @cslewis_official taken in Sandy, Utah by @jakedeanart

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“Someday” (Boy with Bicycle) 22“ x 30” watercolor on 300 lb hot press

Did this one a few years ago. Ok, many years ago. It’s a picture of my son, Isaac. On his 2nd birthday we took him to the Hogle Zoo. In the Asian Highlands area he walked up to an old bike attached to the ground. I snapped a photo and immediately knew I wanted to paint it.

Over the years as we visited the zoo we would take a picture of the kids in the same place to commemorate the moment. Unfortunately they recently removed the bike.

I really enjoyed painting the rust. It added character and depth to the metal. Maybe there’s a life lesson to be learned…😀

#Art #Watercolor #ArtInspiration #CreativeJourney #WatercolorArt @hoglezoo @jacklyn.dean44 @i.sabelledean by @jakedeanart

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