THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, August 14, 1994 TAG: 9408110191
SECTION: CAROLINA COAST PAGE: 44 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: Nancy McWilliams
LENGTH: Medium: 81 lines
Walking into John Adkins' art studio is a bit like entering a hurricane; there is energy and movement everywhere.
The 29-year-old painter is happily pursuing his dream - making a living as a full-time artist. He and his wife, Terri, have turned a small cottage at Jennette's Pier in Nags Head into production headquarters, where they create paintings on canvas of local scenes.
Lighthouses are the favorite subject, requested from Adkins and sold at local shops such as Farmer's Daughter, Forbes candy shops and Quacker Connection.
``The trick is to turn out art at less than $15,'' Adkins said, and the way he's doing that is to take his original art, and use silkscreening to produce different effects and get the work out quickly. ``It's pure inspiration, no duplication,'' Adkins quips, and he does make each scene different by varying the clouds, lighting and foreground. He likes the idea of tailoring scenes to fit the buyer's needs.
A native of Abingdon, Va., Adkins had moved all around before settling in Nags Head three years ago. ``I've been drawing forever,'' he said of his lifelong interest in art. A Japanese scene on his wall was rendered when he was 13. He attended the Art Institute of Pittsburgh and served in the U.S. Army.
``I've read about artists who starved,'' Adkins said with determination that this will not be his fate. ``Art is not easy to break into.''
Upon arriving on the Outer Banks, Adkins didn't intend to do ``beach art,'' but economically it has proved necessary. Being here near the ocean has been inspirational for him. ``Nothing compares to the sky,'' he said. ``Everything on the beach is shaped by wind.''
An admirer of ``detail people,'' Adkins respects the work of Michelangelo, Rembrandt and Norman Rockwell. ``Now there was a mixed media artist,'' Adkins said.
Starting out as a poor artist has led Adkins to some unusual ways in which to express himself. In the past, feeling the need to create, but not having the money for art supplies, Adkins painted a series of Hollywood stars on tarpaper. The haunting beauty of the women's images is undaunted by the ``common'' background they are painted on.
Adkins has used floor wax, automobile lacquer, crayons and shoe polish, in addition to traditional media such as oils, acrylics, pen and ink, airbrush and oil pastels. Besides the tar paper, he has painted on paneling strips, made a monster mask out of orange spray foam and carved an Indian figure out of pier pilings with a chain saw, hammer and chisel. It was poverty that led Adkins to try such a variety, he said. ``I'd see it laying there, floor wax or shoe polish, and I'd use it.'' He laughingly referred to himself as a media magician.
``I am inspired by using different media,'' he said. ``I like doing every kind of art.''
Check out his mural on the side of Fisherman's Wharf Restaurant in Wanchese. He's also painted wild, intricate scenes on Harley Davidson Motorcycles and a jet boat, but finds those type of projects very time consuming.
It is faith and dedication that keeps Adkins working at art. ``I've tried other jobs, but I was given this talent,'' Adkins said.
When he's not churning out lighthouses, Adkins can be found painting more surrealistic scenes, including Blackbeard and his pirate ships, Civil War battles, Orville and Wilbur Wright and their airplane. And he is full of stories about each subject. ``We research everything because it's all painted from my mind,'' Adkins said. ``I need to be familiar with the subject matter.''
He and his wife dream of buying a sailboat, of sailing and painting. ``There's so much to see and so little time to see it,'' Adkins said.
His desire is to achieve perfection in his art. ``I know that sounds weird,'' he said. ``But I want to combine contemporary concepts with neo-classic rendering techniques and market that. That changes the whole concept. It's conceptually intriguing.'' ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by DREW C. WILSON
Artist John Adkins' favorite subject is lighthouses. His works are
sold at local shops such as Farmer's Daughter, Forbes candy shops
and Quacker Connection.
by CNB