Meet Debra Jones

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Debra Jones. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Debra below.

Debra, so great to have you with us and we want to jump right into a really important question. In recent years, it’s become so clear that we’re living through a time where so many folks are lacking self-confidence and self-esteem. So, we’d love to hear about your journey and how you developed your self-confidence and self-esteem.

I have competing issues here. I overcame the fear of not having a style or actual creativity by telling people I was a human camera. I always could draw. I copied my favorite movie stars, and was always in terror in my art school, because I never understood color theory. The day I went into the teachers office and broke down, he was amazed. He said not to worry, he was giving me an A. He also stressed it was THEORY. I thought I was not learning the rules. That somehow I just was not ever getting it…. So I did commercial art for a while, during which time I rarely made art. I worked in an advertising agency and to this day, I swear I wrote more radio copy than did much drawing!
During my second try at art, I gave up on creating images and decided to capture likenesses.
I always painted pets and maybe some decorations on clothing, Christmas ornaments and that sort of stuff. I had a commission and was thrilled with the likeness, but the subject was mad at her husband and wanted a back view. I cried on the shoulder of another art friend who asked if I had what it took to be a portrait painter. Did I have the required people skills?? It was then that I realized it was business. I had plenty of talent, but I needed to be a good salesman to get jobs. It paid off. I draw for myself but commissions…. I say “Yes Sir,” Yes Ma’am” and the customer is right or I don’t take the job.
I made a strong contract I could live with and made sure work was all contracted.

Second issue you asked about was self-esteem. I never was lacking that. Looking back on my life, I don’t know if I was exceedingly competent or just had the most amazing mother who was my biggest fan. I am pretty sure it was the latter. I always had her soft pillow of amazement to fall back on. I cannot remember any disagreements, though I must say I was not a wild kid at all, and after going out on my own, I was shocked to be called “Phyllis’ Kid”. My whole life she was “Debby’s Mom!” I really miss her, but her perpetual approval was what gave me the confidence to do anything.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

I am a portrait artist.
I have been doing likenesses forever, it seems. But in the last decade or so I have somehow moved into predominantly pet portraits. I do small watercolors and have developed a following which is a boon to business. I used to call myself Dead Dog Deb because I would get a rush order for an aged companion who had a bad diagnosis and I would rush to finish only to deliver to the client a day late. I spent a lot of my time crying with people who lost their four legged children. I want to let you know it is HARD. It is not just cute puppies and long lives, I did a lot with rescue and gave gift certificates for art and the business of getting the work was over 1/3 of my time. I love those pet owners and their animal kids.

I recently did have the opportunity to show I was not just a fur painter. On October 1 I opened the “Women Only” one woman show of portraits (human) I have done over the years. In 2015 I put together a show in Chandler AZ called “Women Making Faces”. It featured 10 female artists and well known Arizona Women. I had a few portraits left from that show and painted 8 new local faces. For this one, I only had the gallery for 10 days but managed over 100 images I had made – all women. These were all unsold work for me. Put that number at about half the pieces that were commissioned and it helped me promote my chops as a human painter as well.

With the holidays coming, I am trying to book up as early as I can so nobody will be disappointed that wants a portrait.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

1. Marketing. It comes first because I have always marveled at lesser artists doing work (I would consider to be inferior… JUST me!) yet they were out getting commissions and sales. I have yet to encounter a college graduate who can tell me they know how to write a grant, but I have seen people in marketing, start an art business with no skills and thrive!

2. Be patient. It will not happen right away, You will have to go find your niche, not wait for them to find you. I was very lucky getting started with my pet art, as so many free opportunities were there, I started a blog that gained me many followers. It began my clientele. There is so much competition these days, I honestly can’t advise you how, but definitely get people to see you on the internet. Apparently people don’t get out much any more. The marketplace is so definitely web-based that you would be foolish not to learn all you can about it.

3. Keep learning. Get good. Practice, sketch, attend open studios, take classes. First it will make your product better and better, and it is a great way to meet others in studio or learn from the pros. There are skills that need honing. Waiting in between commissions is no way to get more.

How would you describe your ideal client?

I have a few patrons. That is the ideal client for any artist.
They now say there are impulse buyers, collectors and investors. It is as if art is always a high end commodity. You will meet all kinds, but when you meet a few that love to hang your work in their own home, they will keep coming back to you. I can count on three and they have always returned with larger commissions. Make new friends but keep the old, as they say.
I would love to find new clients but I fear the work at this time in my career is pretty hard. I am in my 70s and able to live on my income, but the fear of surprise expenses is always looming. I have two pricing models: The large oil portraits would be the very best clientele. My Women Making Faces show was a reaction to looking through an old Architectural Digest and seeing so many PHOTOGRAPHS on walls. Hand painted work by artists is a dying art. I would love more lawyers, college faculties, industrialists, etc. to realize the painted tribute is STILL a great investment. There is a small number of professionals still doing them, but again, I want the clients that love MY work. There are places in China that turn out beautiful work but by painting over photos. I am in competition with them. And don’t start me on AI…

Contact Info:

Image Credits

All images ©Debra Jones 2024

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