Jess Mudgett is an artist, skater, surfer, and occasional ranch hand who specializes in one-of-a-kind designs that appear everywhere from murals in the rural West to the Yeti offices in downtown Austin. Fans of Jess’s work can spot his art from a mile away– he’s known for bold, often-times big portrayals of western landscapes, horses, birds, people, and more, all presented in a style that is uniquely his own. If you’re not familiar with Jess’s art, I’d encourage you to visit his Instagram page while listening– there’s a link in the notes for you to click through.
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Jess was raised in Fort Collins, Colorado, and grew up obsessed with and fully committed to skateboarding. While attending art school in Portland, he dropped out to go on a professionally funded skate trip, which ultimately led to getting his foot in the door with the art department of a skate company. After a few years, Jess returned to school to earn his degree, and his path as a professional artist was set. Currently, Jess is based in Portland, but spends big portions of the year traveling the West in his truck, creating art for a wide variety of well-known companies and individuals.
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Jess and I met up at my house in Colorado Springs and had a fun conversation about his life as an artist. We started out discussing his upbringing in Fort Collins and how skating and art became the focus of his life. We discuss his creative process, his partnerships with popular brands, and his relationship with the renowned photographer (and past podcast guest) Chris Burkard. Jess describes his time working on Mark Carter’s Wyoming ranch, his lifestyle of living on the road, how he pushes through self-doubt, his love of tattoos, and some of the artists who have inspired him over the years. And what I loved most about this conversation was Jess’s overall vibe of deep gratitude and true humility– I think you’ll be inspired by his approach to life and art.
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And as a surprise, Jess created a special Mountain & Prairie design that I know you’ll love– I sure do. I’m going to be offering this design on special edition t-shirts, stickers, and coffee mugs in the Mountain & Prairie shop. If you want to check out the collection, follow the link in the notes. It’s an awesome design, and I’m honored that Jess took the time to create such a unique piece just for Mountain & Prairie listeners.
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Once again, thanks for taking the time to listen. I hope you enjoy this conversation with the great Jess Mudgett.
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- Jess on Instagram
- SHOP: Jess Mudgett x M&P
- Full episode notes and links: https://mountainandprairie.com/jess-mudgett/
- Writers for the Wild with David Gessner and Craig Childs
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TOPICS DISCUSSED:
- 4:10 – Jess discusses growing up and the role his parents played in his childhood
- 6:00 – Jess talks about how skateboarding became a part of his life and art
- 7:15 – Jess discusses the next step in his life after high school: going to art school
- 13:45 – Jess and Ed talk about surfing
- 16:30 – Jess discusses his life after art school, including how he worked his way into NHS skate company
- 23:30 – Jess talks about his current lifestyle, including living out of his truck
- 26:45 – Jess discusses his stint working on a ranch at the beginning of COVID, as well as how it changed him
- 31:15 – Jess talks about how he manages his creative time
- 35:30 – Jess discusses his relationship with Chris Burkard, as well as why he thinks Chris has been so successful
- 41:45 – Jess talks about tattoos becoming a part of his life
- 43:45 – Jess describes his art as he sees it today
- 44:30 – Jess talks about the artists who inspire him
- 47:15 – Jess discusses self-criticism in his work
- 47:45 – Jess talks about how his relationship with Yeti began
- 51:00 – Jess talks about the times in his artistic career when he has felt like quitting
- 53:45 – Jess’s advice for your creatives
- 58:45 – Jess’s book recommendations
- 1:00:30 – Jess’s parting words of wisdom
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