Jerod Schmidt,
Printmaker

My art is about curiosity and discovery.  It is the way in which I explore the forms and ideas that catch my interest, in order to incorporate them into my overall worldview.  For me, creating is an act of exploration and learning, and presenting those creations is a way of sharing my discoveries and ideas.

I was a weird kid.  Growing up, I spent my time in my own worlds: drawing during recesses, collecting rocks and seashells, building castles out of Lego’s and strange objects I found at garage sales, looking at creatures through a plastic microscope, and immersing myself in worlds described in photo books and maps.  Now, decades later, I realize how little these core aspects of my personality have changed, and I am embracing my own weirdness as the source of my creativity.

The topics that most intrigue me are those relating to the natural processes which created (and continue to sustain) this world and its endless, varied forms.  There is inspiration to be found while looking through both macro and micro lenses, from the swirling of galaxies to the orbitals of electrons.  I daydream about other worlds and possibilities, and I contemplate our human interactions within our own world.  I seek out the beauty that is to be found in all these subjects, especially where it seems illusive.  My purpose as an artist is to explore, to wonder, to experiment, to create, and ultimately to share these journeys with others who are also curious about the world and their place within it.