About the Artist
J Douglas is a self taught artist from rural South Carolina. He began painting and drawing at an early age and apprenticed in his family's picture framing studio. Painting remained a hobby until 2012, while working as an antique dealer. He began displaying his paintings to fill the empty walls of the building and was surprised to find that customers took interest. Encouraged by these early successes, he began to spend more time painting and it quickly became an important part of his life.
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In lieu of formal academic training, Mr. Douglas’s art education was found in a decade of rigorous practice and experimentation. Taking to the field like the great French Impressionists, he studied the effect of light and the changing seasons by painting en plein air in the fields, swamps, and forests of the Carolinas. His work in the studio was done through digitally arranging photos, and supplemental sketches. He also worked in traditional woodblock printmaking for several years between 2017 and 2020. His antique shop became the only art gallery in the region from 2016-2018 and now serves as a framing and interior design business as well as his studio. He attended art fairs throughout the Carolinas and eventually secured placement in several galleries and businesses throughout the region.
When he isn’t painting, Mr. Douglas enjoys playing the violin and writing poetry. He learned to play old time music from his grandfather and went on to study modern jazz, classical, and world music. His interest in comparative mythology, existential Philosophy, and dream imagery continue to play an integral role in his artwork.
Artist's Statement
My work is an archive of my personal impressions of the world around me. I try to approach my imagery impartially, painting what I see without attaching labels to the objects. I paint the rural southern landscape with an understanding of my presence as an observer; as a shadow on the land. When painting outdoors I often intentionally omit the shadow cast by myself and my easel, preferring to imagine myself as part of the landscape and otherwise invisible. In the studio, I try to listen to the subjects and let them tell me what they want to be instead of trying to force them to conform to my expectations.
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I didn't begin painting until adulthood, but I've had a lifelong fascination with illustration and animation. The simplicity of form seen in cartoons and anime inspired me to draw comic illustrations as a child. I only shared them with close friends, and threw them away before starting another. These childhood sketches of funny little characters were a sort of initiation into the mysteries of fine art. It was only after a decade of practice that I realized the importance of using those same broad cartoonish gestures in my studio paintings.
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When I first began painting, I would sit quietly at a desk. I sat like a student, and I strove to match lines and colors with tiny brushes. Over time I learned to slide my chair further back and hold my brushes a bit more loosely. Now I always paint standing, and do my best work when I can sort of dance around the canvas. I impart as much motion from my entire body as possible, and allow that mysterious inner composure to help steady my lines. My best work often comes through permitting myself to be mischievous and to treat the painting with polite disdain.
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When I actively engage with self expression in my personal projects, I draw on archetypal imagery. I often take inspiration from my memories and dreams, weaving the symbols into other subjects in order to convey a richer emotional meaning. With due appreciation for the ability of vision to transcend material understanding, and the power of color and tone to speak louder than words, I paint to share my understanding of the world. Whatever subject I choose to represent, however abstractly, I hold paramount the effect of the image on the viewer and my role in translating it.
Oak Apple Studios
Constructed in 1910 as a row of commercial buildings, Mr. Douglas remodeled the erstwhile office building into an antique shop starting around 2008. He spent the first few years buying and selling used furniture and affordable decor acquired from auctions and wholesale suppliers. The recession made for slow growth and he found that high quality and rarer antiques had more appeal and could draw visitors from outside of the region. Working part time as a rural mail carrier allowed him to keep the business afloat through lean years, and over time he found that demand for his paintings outpaced antique sales.
Taking the name from his mother's gift shop, Mr. Douglas opened a small art gallery in 2013. Offering custom framing and exhibitions for several years, the business model proved untenable. Mr. Douglas was reluctant to feature established artists because customers were so few and sporadic. Meanwhile, the regular customers of his antique business were confused by the rebranding into strictly art and modern merchandise. A fire in 2017 signaled the death knell of the gallery. The tragic collapse of the small town's two largest commercial buildings being a metaphor for the fate of all rural communities.
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The gallery became a gift shop once again, and then the 2020 pandemic arrived. Online sales strategies proved futile amidst the influx of new competitors in the same space. Even after in-person shopping resumed, it was clear that the retail environment had changed; not only locally but nationally. So, Oak Apple Studios has been the result. We continue to offer framing services, workshops, and art consultation by appointment, as well as serving as Mr. Douglas's working studio.
