jeff, we are so excited to have you joining us in the north fork this summer at lumber+salt! we have admired your work for some time now and thrilled to get to know you!

the salting: how did you land on the sailor for inspiration? 

jeff lee: I became interested in sailors as a subject when my husband and I bought our home in Orient over ten years ago.  I did a lot of research into the maritime history of the area and was also turning my art pursuit toward portraiture.  The two interests more or less collided.  I’m also drawn to the queer cultural lore of sailors and am a fan of artists who've celebrated them in art, literature and beyond. I suppose I owe Jean Genet, Paul Cadmus and Pierre et Gilles dinner. 

ts: how long have you been painting? what is your main/favorite medium?  

jl: I restarted painting about 7 years ago after a few decades of not making any art at all.  My style has changed significantly however in the past 3 years thanks to time spent studying with an English artist named Rob Unett . He’s a brilliant artist and teacher. He really helped me find my “voice”.   As for medium—I work with several at any given time.  Right now, I’m working mostly with gouache, ink, pastel, pencil and charcoal. I work with a lot of water as well, often applying, rinsing and reapply all the materials just mentioned.  It creates layers to my work that I find interesting. 

ts: who inspires you?  

jl: I’m alway inspired by creative people who understand their talent and do something with it.  I’m inspired by older people who start new chapters late in life and by young people who advocate for positive changes in our institutions.  I’m inspired by my husband and close friends who are smart, driven and have their priorities in check. 

ts: what inspires you?  

jl: Paul Smith has the best quote around this. It goes something like “You can find inspiration in everything.  If you can’t, then you’re not looking properly”  I believe this 110%!  I find inspiration EVERYWHERE!  Many of my portrait subjects come from amalgamations of old photos found in magazines, books or online. I keep files of inspirational screenshots in various folders broken down into categories (faces, botanicals, uniforms, etc).  I can find color inspiration in a pile of rocks or a grocery aisle.  A few months ago I saw a pile of Moroccan carpets in a shop and the color combinations left immediate impressions.  I’m sure those colors will be making appearances onto my paintings very soon. 

ts: favorite artist (s)?

jl:
- Marlene Dumas
- Francis Bacon
- Egon Schiele
- Marcel Dzama
- Rob Unett

ts: 3 favorite films?

jl:
-  A Room With A View
-  Hedwig and the Angry Inch
-  All About My Mother

ts: 3 favorite restaurants in the north fork?

jl:
- Little Creek Oysters (Greenport)
- Nookies (Greenport)
- Bruce & Son (Greenport)

ts: favorite spot on the north fork?

jl:Orient County Park.  It’s a short walk from my house and perfect any time of the year.  

ts: first "sketching" memory?

jl: My dad teaching me to draw a 747 when I was about 7.  (I’m obsessed with the airline industry to this day as a result. No joke—I can look up at the planes flying overhead on their way to JFK and can tell you the airline and plane type just by the shape and barely-there markings.  I agree that it’s an odd and useless skill.)

ts: do you listen to music when your creating? if so, can you share? 

jl: Oh yes.  I actually have playlists for different moods and different subject matters.  When I’m painting portraits or figures, I play a lot of what I’ll call “dirge and urge”…think angsty, vaguely sexy, low-boil songs by artists like Alison Moyet, David Bowie, Massive Attack, Depeche Mode and such.  I have a 5 hour Blondie-only playlist that’s been the background to some work I’m very proud of, including a few of these sailors.  I’m also a huge fan of Latin torch songs by these incredible bolero divas like Olga Guillot, Tonya La Negra, Chavela Vargas and of course the queen, La Lupe.  One of our dogs is named after her.  Good things always emerge on paper when I invite those ladies to join me.

ts: dream job? 

jl: I’ve already had it.  Between 1995 and 2005 I worked for Tommy Hilfiger.  I was in charge of visual merchandising for our international stores and had the opportunity to travel the world several times over.  The brand was growing and we were given a lot of freedom and trust to do our jobs and build a solid business.  It was so fun and productive.  I went to incredible places and met the most interesting people—many with whom I’m still friends with today.  I work for myself now, providing creative services and solutions to a variety of clients and I’m still fortunate to work with some really wonderful people. 

ts: what brings you joy?

jl: Time spent with myself, my husband, our dogs and our good friends.  We’ve created a life for ourselves out here that brings me joy in ways I didn’t think possible when I was younger.  I’m incredibly grateful. 

ts: how do you erase hate in your everyday life?

jl: It sounds corny but I believe in assuming positive intent, especially with those whom we engage with on a daily basis.  It helps take the temperature down—especially in today’s environment.  And I do think that kindness and calm are undervalued attributes.  Cruelty and rudeness rarely accomplish anything positive.  Everyday acts of grace and kindness can go far in ways we’ll never see.  I know I for one can always do better.