Artist Statement

My artwork explores the realms of fantasy and all things magical. I’ve always been interested in the makings of elaborate fictional worlds in which people are allowed an escape from reality into a place of wonder. With the use of detailed illustrations combined with various printed textures, I create lighthearted images of fantasy worlds and the creatures that inhabit them.

I work with a combination of printmaking techniques, watercolor painting, and digital illustration. Often playing around with textures created by different fabrics and random found objects. Then intertwining mediums to create diverse images with multiple layers of color, texture, and illustration. While my techniques for artwork may vary, each piece is created with imagery to let us explore a more magical narrative. I take inspiration from games like Dungeons and Dragons, Choose Your Own Adventure and Elder Scrolls which allow for a cooperative level of storytelling. My art is an open story for every individual to add to their own narrative and conclusions of the worlds and the beings that I present before them. I love to hear all the variations of stories and adventures people come up with while viewing my art. This openness of creation and storytelling within a fictional world is what continues to inspire my work today.

BIO

Jakob Stroup is a printmaker and digital artist based out in Montgomery County Pennsylvania. He received his Associates in Fine Art in 2019 from Montgomery County Community College where he had discovered printmaking for the first time. He worked as a graphic designer earlier on yet has moved towards creating his own line of fantasy artwork. His first exhibition was in 2019 at the 52nd MCCC Student Exhibition in Bluebell where his Gazelle Sculpture won Best in 3D Sculpture. Currently, he is working towards his B.F.A. in printmaking at Tyler School of Art in Philadelphia.