Jeff Fleming

IDEOLOGY

Art is alive! I don't just add paint to a canvas, I combine color and composition to create a dynamic spirit. Art should catch your eyes and speak to your emotions. My paintings are meant to be companions, they have personality and character, and when you look at them, they answer back with inspiration.

THE JOURNEY

Art has always been an important part of my life. My first introduction to painting was age 5. A brave and courageous kindergarten teacher lined up her fifteen students and dipped 30 hands, 150 fingers into wet paint, then pointed to large blank pages of paper and shouted, “create!”

Through my junior & high school years in Covina, California, I won several art awards, including “Best of Show” in a city wide student competition. In 1979 my paintings were on exhibit in Laguna Beach at the Ruth Mayer Gallery.

I studied journalism/advertising at San Diego State University and after graduating in 1978,  worked in several top advertising agencies as art director — adding print, radio and television advertising to my resume.

In 1980, I accepted the position of art director for a publishing advertising firm in the Cayman Islands and designed ads for Cayman Airlines, several large banks and real estate developers, as well as a book dedicated to Queen Elizabeth’s visit to the island in 1983. While living on the island, I exhibited several paintings in the national art festival and sold them all before returning to California in 1983.

I worked for Orange County based Duncan McIntosh Co. from 1983 to 2019 — holding various titles, from art director, creative director, executive editor and vice president/general manager.  

In early 2018, I rediscovered finger painting through the eyes and expertise of artist Iris Scott. Her online instructional videos were inspirational and gave me incentive to fire up the creative juices to begin painting on a “semi’ regular basis.

AWARDS

2018— Orange County Fair: Visual Arts Staff Choice Award

2022— Laguna Art-A-Fair: Best of Show Runner-up