Rutherford County artist Jimbo Eanes has a passion for art involving spray paint, vivid waves of color and the human ability to transmit energy that conveys messages, whether consciously or not. He says that his work is all about the presence we hold and how we carry ourselves, an interpretation of the vibrations that people emit.
“My paintings are a study into our ability to communicate with one another. It’s all about the vibrations that we all give off,” Eanes said.
Eanes grew up in Middle Tennessee and discovered his appreciation for art around the age of 10. He created mostly cartoons until the age of 14, when he discovered graffiti in cities. He spent time that summer in New York City, Washington DC, Los Angeles and Atlanta, which provided him with a lot of knowledge of urban graffiti.
Eanes’ parents and older sister were skilled in handwriting, and he found himself intrigued by letter form. However, he spent several years doing graffiti before he decided to get into pen and ink surrealism. During this time, he worked for the First Amendment Center in Nashville, where he says his art had a sort of “political and social issues” feel. Eanes began participating in group art shows around Nashville and Rutherford County but soon noticed that his work didn’t seem very cohesive. He aimed to create a style of his own—something he felt comfortable with and enjoyed at the same time.
This was when Eanes developed his painting style using the vibrations.
Eanes explained that he’ll usually get the idea for one piece while working on another piece, so he always has something in mind when creating. Eanes also explained that a lot of his inspiration comes from his studio, which was his dad’s creative space before he passed in 2013.
“My dad was a creative guy as well. He loved to carve wood. Being in his creative space gives me a sense of being with him,” the artist said.
He added that he spends an average of about 20–25 hours of painting and conceptualizing a piece.
“Color evokes more emotion that most people realize. I used to do graffiti and people would ask what it says. After I would answer, most people would tend to disregard the letters and would compliment the colors. I started realizing how much people gravitate towards certain color palettes and I find that incredibly interesting,” Eanes said.
He added that he tries not to subscribe to color-pairing stereotypes, though, so his color combinations are often unique. For his art, he uses a low-pressure spray paint that creates a sort of feathery effect along with a technique that’s similar to masking.
“When I’m in a show, I love to hear other peoples’ perspectives about my art. You can learn about folks when you listen to their opinions and perspectives,” Eanes said. “I think that we could heal a lot of the world’s issues if we were truly able to listen to people and understand where they are coming from. Art is a great way to start some of those conversations.”
For more on Jimbo Eanes and his art, find J. Eanes Vibration Artist on Facebook or Eanestagram on Instagram.
