October Member's Spotlight: Jeff Weiss

photo credit: Jeff MacMillan

Lives in: Takoma Park

Website: mrjeffweiss.com

Social Media:

Facebook: Jeff Weiss and Mrjeffweiss

Instagram: @mrjeffweiss2u

Media: Digital Images are mounted Giclee prints, acrylics and oils are on wood or canvas, and pencil / pen / pastel are on rag paper.

Subjects: Landscapes

Why you joined MAA: I have been drawing and painting since 1973, and doing Computer Graphics since 1980. I have never participated in any shows of any kind. After 50 years, I would like to show what I have been working on all this time.

Something fun about you: I am a certified dog trainer and have worked with many types of dogs. I am currently owned and trained by a Jack Russell Terrier quite appropriately named Bedlam.

Biography: I started drawing and painting at the age of 19. At Temple University, I was encouraged to go to the Tyler School of Art, but decided to move to Colorado. I studied Art at the University of Colorado and graduated in 1979. Moving to San Francesco, I worked as a graphic artist for a technical book publisher. One day the owner of the firm, came to me with a large stack of papers and a prototyping breadboard. He said “The technical editor just quit, here’s the manuscript. Do all the illustrations, all the typesetting, all the layout, and test everything to make sure it is correct”. Having only 1 course in Fortran as my computer experience, I learned a lot in this baptism by fire.

That led to a career in computer graphics, in both Philadelphia and Washington, DC. This included working at Computer Aided Design Service bureaus and as the IT manager at several Architecture firms. I have also taught an Introduction to Design with Computer Graphics at a small private school.

All the while, I never stopped painting and drawing. Over the years, I have been influenced by many artists: Agam, Escher, Dali, Hopper and Calder. My current work involves the creation of 3 dimensional fractals inside photo-spheres. These are virtual environments that do not and cannot exist. I try to bridge the gap between virtual and representational imagery.