Tradition+
Spirit+
Inspiration+
Togetherness+
Color
Jeff McNutt
Jeff McNutt was born in Iowa in 1967 and raised a Hawkeye. In 1986, Jeff attended The University of Iowa where he had the chance to be the school's mascot, "Herky The Hawk". He began his artistic pursuits in 1989 while working for The Walt Disney Company. In 1991 he moved to Los Angeles and continued his art education in animation houses across Hollywood, with street artists in LA, and also at Cal Arts in Valencia, CA. In 1993, Jeff moved back to Iowa to study graduate painting at The University of Iowa.
Herky the Hawk (1986)
"I search for a spirit of hope, inspiration, fun, a sense of Iowa culture and family on the canvas. The chapter of my art dedicated to the Iowa Hawkeyes aims for a sense of togetherness and a Thanksgiving presence in warm color.
The content of my work is inspired by a desire to communicate a sense of life and presence. Much like sculpture, I want my artwork to have a feeling of creation and affect a space with color and movement.
I apply and take off oil paint, oil stick, and spray paint until the painting starts to have a history like distressed art on old brick buildings. Many of the marks on the canvas are inspired by animation sketches, adding a sense of movement and life in the work.
When my art is completed and molded into a movement on canvas, I want my work to affect a space with a sense of beauty and soul; to create a feeling where there is an energy coming off the canvas."
