Who is  Joseph Perryman ?

I am an award-winning artist and teacher whose illustrations have appeared in various publications, print collateral and advertisements. I have developed websites and content for Fortune 500 companies and sold fine art paintings and drawings through galleries.

For sixteen years I taught and developed content for classes at Purdue University Calumet in the Computer Graphics and Information Technology Department and sold digital paintings at the Tall Grass Gallery in Park Forest Illinois.

Several years ago I stopped teaching so that I could devote more time to creating art. Going forward, I plan to use computers for most of the preliminary work, then rendering the final pieces with traditional tools.

 

Artist's Statement

Like most artists, I have drawn and painted for as long as I can remember. My mother, also an artist, encouraged my interest and nurtured my development. I went to summer art camps and finished the Art Instructional School's correspondence course while I was still in high school. After high school I went to Purdue for a few years to build a broad educational base before attending the American Academy of Art in Chicago. After graduation I worked as a graphic designer and illustrator in Chicago.

Unfortunately I developed severe allergies to art materials (this was before personal computers) and had to switch careers. I went back to Purdue and got a degree in Information Technology. I spent many years doing general programming, switching to web development at the first opportunity. I am now retired, pursuing my first love: fine art.

I enjoy creating art with computers as well as traditional materials and often use both in my work. I always try to use the best tool to express what I have to say. This blend of approaches generally results in an image with a distinct visual quality that would be hard or impossible to create in any other way.

Art Shows

2023 Aug	Anthology	Tall Grass Arts Association Annual show for gallery members
2023 Aug	Contemporary Artists Digital Tools	Union Street A show I cocurated featuring digital artwork that appears to be done with traditional tools
2023 Jun	Animal House	South Shore Arts Association A national show featuring animal images
2023 Mar	Gwendolyn Brooks	Tall Grass Arts Association A show of works inspired by her poetry
2023 Jan	Doors and Windows	Tall Grass Arts Association A national show
2022 Nov	'Tis the Season	Tall Grass Arts Association A group show for gallery members
2021 Sep	Not Really Seeking Abstraction	Tall Grass Arts Association A national show focusing on abstraction
2021 Jun	Natural Light	Union Street Gallery A regional show showcasing the effects of light
2020 Nov	Annual Salon Show	South Shore Arts Association A regional show
2020 Sep	Nak3d	Tall Grass Arts Association A show featuring paintings and drawings from TG's life drawing group
2019 Aug	The Sky's the Limit	Tall Grass Arts Association A group show for gallery members
2018 Oct	Life Drawings	South Shore Arts Association A show featuring art created in SSA workshops
2015 Aug	Autumn's Soft Breezes	Tall Grass Arts Association A group show for gallery members
2014 May	Identity Interpreted	Tall Grass Arts Association A national show featuring off-beat self-portraits
2014 Nov	Holiday Show	Tall Grass Arts Association Annual group show for gallery members
2014 Jul	Explosive Impressions	Tall Grass Arts Association A group show for gallery members
2013 Sep	The Machine	Union Street Gallery A national show about man vs. machines
2013 Jul	Eclectic	South Shore Arts Association A one man show of digital work
2013 Aug	Showing Off	Tall Grass Arts Association A group show for gallery members
2012 Aug	Blur	Union Street Gallery A regional showing of works depicting motion
2012 Sep	Annual Salon Show	South Shore Arts Association A regional show, won merit award
2010 Jan	Annual Salon Show	South Shore Arts Association A regional show, won Suzanne Cooley award

NWI Times Interview

Q. Tell me about yourself. Where do you live, how long have you lived in this area?
A. I have lived in this area (Indiana) for most of my life. We moved to Gary in the ‘60’s, then to Highland in 1972. In 1985 I bought a house in Hammond. I have now come full circle and am living in the house in Highland that I grew up in.

Q. Where did you graduate from?
A. Like most artists, I have drawn and painted for as long as I can remember. My mother, also an artist, encouraged my interest and nurtured my development. I went to summer art camps and finished the Art Instructional Schools correspondence course while I was in high school at Highland High School. After high school I went to Purdue Calumet for a few years to build a broad educational base before attending the American Academy of Art in Chicago. After graduation I worked as a graphic designer and illustrator in Chicago.

Unfortunately I developed severe allergies to art materials (this was pre–computers) and had to switch careers. I went back to Purdue and got a degree in Information Technology. I spent many years doing general programming, switching to web development at the first opportunity. During that time I worked in IT at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago and got my MBA from Depaul University.

Q. Are you a full-time artist, or what is your other employment?
A. I am a full time artist now, but for ten years I taught and helped develop curriculum in the Computer Graphics department at Purdue Calumet.

Q. Tell me a little bit about your art—what inspires you, how would you describe your style, etc.?
A. I like a wide range of things and my work reflects that. Ideas come from everywhere—nature, other people’s work, both past and present, and even dreams. I am more interested in creating something with strong composition that showcases exciting shapes and colors than I am in any particular subject matter. My style is eclectic; it shifts with what I have to say.

Most of the art I create these days is digital, but I still enjoy using traditional materials and often add images created with them into my digital work. I always try to use the best tool to express what I have to say. This blend of approaches often results in an image with a distinct visual quality that would be hard or impossible to create in any other way.

Q. Tell me a little bit about this exhibit (Eclectic) in particular: How did you select the pieces?
A. This exhibit is the culmination of several years of experimenting with digital art tools. I wanted to see just how useful these tools could be in creating the type of work that I do. As a result I created hundreds of images in the various styles I enjoy. The works on display are some of my favorites.

Q. What do you want people to take away from this exhibit?
A. Primarily I hope they enjoy the work. Additionally, I want to expose them to what can be done digitally. These days its often hard to tell whether an image was created with a pencil and paper or a stylus and pixels and I think that some people will be surprised at just how little difference there is. read the complete article

Fiddlin' around, one of the pictures featured in my eclectic show