Artist Interview – Jordan Clark

Who are you and what do you do?
My name is Jordan Clark and I’m a multimedia artist and illustrator! I started sharing my art online over 5 years ago and grew an audience by making art tutorials on Youtube. I later opened a business selling my own illustrated stickers and stationery online. I’ve since stepped back from running my business and I am now working on developing new skills as an artist and taking my work in a different direction.

How and when did you get into art?
I feel like art has always been a part of my life. I grew up obsessed with arts and crafts from a very young age, thanks to my mom who constantly encouraged my creativity. As a teenager I started a blog to share my work and connect with a community of other artists that I couldn’t have found in my small town. I then decided to study art in college and spent four years taking classes on design, drawing, and photography.

How has your practice changed over time?
My practice is constantly evolving. I’ve never been one to stick to a single medium! As a teenager, I planned to use my creative skills to become a graphic designer. I loved digital illustration and photography and spent a lot of time working on my computer, which also translated well into making videos on Youtube. While I never actually became a graphic designer, all the skills I learned contributed to the success of my online business. In the recent years I’ve been more interested in getting my hands messy and making physical art. I’m currently working with traditional media and spend most of my time practicing with paint, pastels, and graphite.

What’s the best piece of art advice you’ve been given?
My favorite artist on Youtube, Sandi Hester, has this mantra: “all the bad goes into the good”. I’m constantly reminding myself of this—that you must produce “bad” art before you can make “good” art! This has fundamentally changed the way I show up everyday. I allow myself to create like a child would, by playing and experimenting and not judging what I make. Some of my favorite work has come from this exploratory mindset. It’s a simple concept, but I think the fear of making something “bad” is what stops most people from ever trying to make art in the first place.

What’s one art tip/technique you can share with us that you find really helpful?
Make art every single day. It sounds really basic, but this is essential to finding your way as any kind of artist. The only way you’ll develop a unique style, improve your skills, or find inspiration is by showing up consistently to do the work.

What is your favorite Strathmore paper?
I’m constantly using the Strathmore 400 series drawing paper. I love the slightly toothy texture and the cream colored paper is my favorite to work on! Even though it’s meant for dry mediums, I still use it with wet mediums because I love how tactile the paper becomes as it warps with different materials (and it’s always fun to use art supplies the “wrong” way).

Want to learn more from Jordan?
Jordan’s FREE Online Workshop, Art Journaling 101, releases on November 7, 2022! You can follow along in the online classroom as she guides you through 4 lessons. Each tutorial comes with a downloadable instruction sheet and a full-length video lesson.

Mark your calendars and follow along here.