Today, we’d like to introduce you to Juan Carlos Duron Martinez.
Hi Juan Carlos, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My journey truly began at conception. I don’t believe I was meant to do anything other than create, whether I was conscious of it or not. However, there were moments in my life when I began to accept this calling. My earliest memories of this include those when I was a young boy drawing popular cartoon characters. I would sit and draw characters for hours.
At the time, it really wasn’t something I thought I was proficient at. It was just something I enjoyed doing. Although I wasn’t working on any original work, It gave me the tools I needed to begin pursuing art in a different way. My peers and teachers took notice of my skills, and I began to find an identity in what I was doing. Growing up, I was a very shy and anxious kid. Art gave me the opportunity to break out of my comfort zone, and as my work improved, so did my ability to make human connections.
My art teachers all played key roles in guiding and encouraging me to become the artist they knew I could be, much before I was aware of it. My high school art teacher, Mrs. Lange, especially. I was lucky enough to have someone who is so incredibly passionate, knowledgeable, and proficient in their field of work as my teacher. To push me and set a foundation for what is now the most important part of my life.
After high school, I did not pursue a higher education for many reasons. That never stopped me from pursuing my dreams. I continued making art and connected with people who had an interest in my work. Many of these would share my work with others, and with time, I was building relationships and connections I wasn’t aware would lead to opportunities. I began pushing my work locally and became more involved with my local arts council.
I consider 2019 the year I began my career as a professional artist. At this time, I had exhibited a small body of watercolor works at a local brewery. I was selling work, and I was offered my first solo show by my now-good friend Dee Dee Oliver. Our lives intersected at the most appropriate time, I would say. Dee was beginning her career as the new Visual Arts Coordinator for what was at the time the “Wilson Arts Council”, now “Wilson Arts”. We met via our mutual friend, Allen Thomas Jr., whom I had reconnected with after a long time.
I have known Allen since I was a young boy; before, he knew I was an artist, and before I knew he was an art collector. In 2020, with much uncertainty and precaution, I was able to have my first solo art show. This was a difficult time with the beginning of the pandemic happening, this being my first solo show, and also Dee’s first show as the new Visual Arts Coordinator. We had a successful show, and a lot of the work was sold. This experience led to more exposure and future commissions. I stayed active with my work and the community and, not much later, was able to meet Jérôme De Perlinghi.
Jérôme would offer me the opportunity to serve on a board of directors for Eyes on Main Street. He became a mentor to me in many ways and encouraged me to pursue photography. During my time with Eyes on Main Street, I exhibited two bodies of work. One entitled “Breathing” features watercolor paintings of succulents and an installation of a live plant wall. The second, a series of instant film photographs titled “Fragmented”.
My time with Eyes on Main Street and Jérôme was instrumental and opened up my eyes to a whole new range of possibilities. In the years that followed and most recently, I took on a series of public art commissions. Those included murals and illustrations. In addition, I began designing and creating merchandise such as stickers, postcards, and enamel pins in order to make my work more accessible to wider audiences.
With this experience I was able to design a new enamel pin that highlights the state of North Carolina, which was recently picked up by the North Carolina Museum of Art and is being sold in their Museum Store. I’m currently working on a new body of work in hopes of a solo exhibition in the foreseeable future.
Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It has never been a smooth road, and that misconception is a struggle in itself. Believing you will one day be able to do something with complete ease or that opportunities will fall out of the sky. That is just simply not a reality, at least not one I’m living in.
Opportunities do come, but not without the work that comes beforehand. You must plant a seed and water it daily, and even then, you will not reap the fruit of your labor overnight. As I mentioned before, the pandemic was a difficult time for artists especially. We face financial limitations on our creative endeavors all the time. Now imagine yourself in a position of wanting to create and having to make decisions on whether it is a good use of your time and resources while also being uncertain of your safety every single day.
Lucky for us as artists, we get the additional benefit of art as therapy, and so even when there is sacrifice, there is still plenty to gain. Aside from that, there is the endless struggle of one’s own insecurities. Both personal and those relating to the work being created. You know? So there are always obstacles, and that’s just a part of the journey and a way of learning.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar with what you do, what can you tell them about what you do?
My work in watercolor is probably the most sought-after. I wouldn’t say there is one thing specifically that I am known for. My range of work, both in style and medium, is so broad that I think what really sets me apart from other artists is my ability to branch out and try something completely new. I create works on canvas and paper. But I also paint murals and do digital illustrations.
I have experience in the field of photography and doll making. I have created sculptures and set up art installations. So there really isn’t much I’m afraid to try my hand at. Not having a niche or identifiable style is not something that I struggle with because I fully believe there is so much left for me to try and experience. I know with time all of that will fall into place and if i decide to fall into one specific category or do something completely new I will be ready for it.
The most important part for me is allowing myself to reinvent and create the work I feel I should be doing at that moment. So, I would say there isn’t one specific piece or achievement I am most proud of. I’m most proud of my intention to learn and adapt.
Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
I think if you’re looking to find a network of people to help guide you as an artist, you need to go out and get yourself as involved as possible with what is already in place. Sometimes, it can be hard because of one’s own insecurities and ability to communicate with others, but it is important to get out there. No matter how uncomfortable or scared you may be.
You will never grow if you don’t place yourself under the pressure. Everyone experiences growing pains. Once you get out there and start making those connections, you will meet all kinds of people on a similar journey who are all looking to learn or help each other in one way or another. If you find someone who’s work you’re moved by. Ask them questions.
More often than not people are looking for someone to listen. Isn’t that part of why we create work, to begin with? There will be those who are fond of your work, and there will be those who aren’t. Both are okay. A lot of times, you grow more from the criticism and rejection than the praise and acceptance.
Contact Info:
- Website: Jcdmart.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jcdmart/
