The further from the masses and the closer to a fishing stream I get, the more at peace I become.  The further from the main roads and the deeper into the outback that stream may be, the closer you would be to understanding me and any meaning you might want to ascribe to my art. 

     My subjects and my renderings of such are modest and quiet.  There are no hidden meanings or agendas, no underlying realities or stories that I wish to tell when I begin a scene.  They are simply views of the world that appeal to me.  These views are mostly of the American rural landscape…farms, ranches, barns, churches, schools and vehicles, most often abandoned, and sometimes just plain old landscapes.  My subjects are of real places that I have visited and enjoyed.  This is where I 'live' and what I 'paint.'  It is what I love.  It offers a peacefulness that I fear won't last.

    If someone wants to read things into my art, that is their business, not mine.  I've had people point out things from bodies to ghosts, which simply are not there.  What you see is what you get.  No more.  No less.  (Okay.  For the record, I have been known to hide a friend's name in a painting or two just for the hell of it.  But that is another story.)

    I work in transparent watercolor on paper.  This medium allows me to express what I have seen.  It is a beautiful medium with soft tonalities.  There are few hard edges.  Whites and light colors are achieved by allowing the paper base to shine through the transparent pigments.  As romantic sounding as it may be, painting en plein air is not very practical for me, so most of my work is done in a studio.  My work often involves hundreds of hours and sitting in an Illinois cornfield just would not work.  In addition, many of my paintings are snow scenes.  Water freezes.  As a result, photographic reference material plays an important part of my work. 

    I have two great studios.  One overlooks a creek in the Black Hills of South Dakota.  The other is Ed, our all wheel drive motor home that overlooks many great places where my wife Gail and I camp.  Both provide controlled environments and good lighting.  Both provide a sense of calmness and a relaxed atmosphere.  When that transfers to my painting, I have accomplished what I have set out to do. 

    The name of Jon Crane is synonymous with exquisite detail and high quality art. A determined realist at heart, Jon’s goal is to show others the beauty of what is real, to say, “this is how it is.” Known by the trademark of Art That Takes You Home, Jon’s watercolors evoke emotions of familiarity, belonging, and nostalgia among his collectors and admirers. Born in north central New Jersey in 1948, Jon grew up among the crowded towns of the East Coast.  He earned a B.A. in Fine Arts in 1971 on an R.O.T.C. scholarship from the University of Northern Colorado, and he was commissioned in the Air Force as a Second Lieutenant upon graduation.  He flew KC-135’s at Ellsworth Air Force Base in Rapid City, SD, logging combat missions in Southeast Asia while based there. He left the Air Force as a Captain in 1975 and decided to take the plunge into the world of art.

 

    In 1980, he opened his first gallery, the Crane Black Hills Gallery in Rapid City, which he operated until 1986. Despite having his own gallery, Crane traveled extensively with his artwork. Always drawn to the backroads, not only of South Dakota, but of many areas of the West and upper Midwest, he painted real places in meticulous detail.  He began to develop a network of galleries around the country that distributed his work, allowing him to reserve his energy for painting. In 1995, Jon moved his business to the little mountain town of Hill City, SD, where he invested his energy, creativity and business acumen into helping develop a thriving art community. He has become well known for his generous support of art in education, environmental organizations, and children’s causes. 

 

    Crane seemed destined to become an artist, being the descendent of Civil War artist and Harper’s Weekly correspondent Alfred R. Waud, and notable marine artist Milton Burns who was a contemporary of Winslow Homer.  Like his artistic ancestors, Crane has a free spirit that embraces wilderness and the tranquility of nature. He and his wife, Gail, enjoy fly-fishing, kayaking, hiking, and searching for out-of-the-way places that will provide inspiration for Crane’s next watercolor painting.

To find a dealer near you, please visit Jon's website at  www.joncranewatercolors.com