BIOGRAPHY

Jeremy Kraemer was born in Madison, Wisconsin in 1978. After graduating from West High School, where he studied ceramics and sculpture under Don Hunt, Jeremy was accepted into the Commercial Art program at Madison Area Technical College. There he studied Ad/ Graphic Design and Illustration. Two of this program's fundamental and advanced classes, drawing and painting, soon became the focus of his art career.

Encouraged by Chris Gargan and John Ribble, two professors who mentored him at MATC and with the support of his family, he then moved to Chicago to attend the American Academy of Art. There he became enamored with the paintings and techniques of John Singer Sargent, Antonio Mancini, Anders Zorn and Joaquin Sorolla.

At the American Academy of Art, Jeremy studied painting under Ted Smuskiewicz. He was taught the technical and conceptual methods of the Dutch, Flemish, and Spanish masters, and eventually all of the late 19th century European and American painters. The emphasis in each of these periods was Au Premier Coup (Alla Prima). Eager to learn and continually work on his art, Jeremy was encouraged by Ted to attend night classes at the Palette & Chisel Academy of Fine Art also in Chicago.

After a year of hard studies at the American Academy of Art and the Palette & Chisel, Jeremy then moved to Columbus, Ohio to attend and graduate with a BFA from the Columbus College of Art & Design. There he continued to further his knowledge of painting and drawing, while also furthering his studies in sculpture/ceramics under the instruction of Curtis Benzle, Bill Hunt, and Kaname Takada.

After graduating in 2004, Jeremy moved back home to Madison, Wisconsin where he works to further develop as an artist.

Artist Statment

In Robert Henri's book, The Art Spirit, the author talks about moments in our lives in which we seem to see beyond the usual, when we become more aware of the unnoticed adventures that underline the routine of daily life. These moments are the ones that provide us with the greatest sense of wisdom and happiness. Artists are the people created to capture the knowledge brought about by these moments and hold it in the hope of gaining a greater knowledge.

The paintings and drawings I create are my attempt to do just that. They are a footprint of my life experiences, a record of my thoughts, ideas, and emotions brought about through the observation and experience of life. In a way my paintings and drawings are a portrait of who I am, an indication of what is important to me, and a glimpse at how I see the world.