Leif Jones is a self-trained artist based in New York and working in a number of mediums. His work is both substantively and thematically expansive, but often juxtaposes a chaotic style with symbols of domesticity to unsettling effect. Such was the case in his Kush Kitten series created last year. For this triptych Leif created rubber models with a cast taken of a dead sphynx cat, which models were then tattooed in a scrawling print reminiscent of bad stick and poke and first tattoos given by friends. Last week, in collaboration with Leif, we released an exclusive candle modeled after these sculptural works.

We took the opportunity to ask the artist some questions about this life, inspirations, works, and desires.

Welcome: Why art?

Leif Jones: It’s just been something I’ve always done. Drawing was my favorite thing to do when I was a kid and that eventually led to painting, tattooing and everything else.

Welcome: What’s the first spark that leads to a new piece?

Leif: The initial spark is the hardest part. It’s unpredictable, it can be anything. Lately I’ve been just building more off of my other work. For paintings I usually reference random pictures I take on my phone. I used to paint a lot cleaner but now I’m more into having the textures being chaotic. A lot of the painting is really loose and messy but then there’s some detail that pins it down to the world.

W: How do you know when a piece is finished?

Leif: I just know. When I start I’m not sure what it’s gonna look like most of the time. I usually just mess around and try different ideas until I find something that's interesting to me that then inspires the rest, and then I’m more precious with it and take my time finishing it. There’s like a balance I guess or a harmony and once I get there I just know it’s done.

Do you have any unusual rituals or routines when creating?

Not really it’s always different. I just try and make stuff all the time and some of it works out the way I want it to some doesn’t. A lot of the time the best stuff kind of happens when I least expect it.

How has your creative process evolved over time?

I don’t really know. I don't think it has that much. I think I’m just more focused now and trying to be a little more intentional than I have in the past.

You seem to bounce between multiple mediums, do they feed into each other creatively?

Yeah I feel like all my stuff comes from the same place or feeling. Even though they can maybe seem different at first glance I feel like they all have a similar energy that makes them fit together. I think the way I do lines and shading is pretty consistent in all my stuff no matter the medium. There’s these messy chaotic textures that are always there.

Where does your love for tattooing come from?

It’s just something that’s nostalgic for me. I started doing it kind of young. I used to tattoo my brothers and kids in my neighborhood when I was in middle school doing really shitty stick and poke tattoos on like park benches. That’s kind of what made my tattoo style develop into what it is now. Embracing this really messy shitty style that’s nostalgic to me.

What influences your work?

It’s all rooted in reality for the most part. With the sculptures the work is definitely more surreal but also draws heavily from my life. The idea for the cat sculpture was inspired by this kid I used to know from youth group who would kill his brother's pet rats while he was sleeping. A lot of the tattoos on the cat sculptures were tattoos I did in real life on my friends or myself, but obviously I’m not tattooing cats in real life so there are definitely elements of fantasy with that stuff. The drawings are just fun and simple to make. They're kind of therapeutic to me in a way. Then with the paintings and photos it’s just moments from my life.

How much of your personal life and experiences make it into your work?

It’s all definitely a reflection of my personal life and experiences. I’ve always done this kind of stuff just for the love of it before anyone cared. I’m glad people are liking the work though it’s definitely opened some doors for me which I’m grateful for. A lot of people hate it too which is cool also.

Do you work better in solitude or surrounded by people?

Most of the stuff I just do alone but there’s never like a formula to when you’re gonna make something you really love. Sometimes it happens out of nowhere when you wouldn’t expect it. Sometimes you sit for hours trying to find it and you never do. I’ve made stuff in really random situations that turned into some of my best work.

What themes do you find yourself returning to in your work?

I don’t really know. I don’t think about it or analyze it too deeply. I think maybe there’s a certain level of darkness in all my stuff but it’s not intentional it just comes out that way. To me it’s all about just following an attraction or feeling and just trying to make stuff that I think is interesting or beautiful. It’s not like I have some big underlying message or anything. In my drawings I definitely use a lot of the same symbols and characters.

Is there a message you hope people take away from your art, or do you prefer them to interpret it freely?

Not at all it’s not about a message to me it’s more just about a feeling or something non verbal. If people find a message in it that’s cool but I don’t really think that way.

Do you pay attention to trends in the art world, or do you try to exist outside of them?

Not really most of the artists I really like are dead. The only art I pay much attention to besides that is the art of my friends.

What do you think about the role of social media in the art world today?

I think it’s good that people can get their stuff out there if that’s something they want. If social media helps you make a living off of what you like to do I don’t see anything wrong with that. I’ve definitely gotten a lot of good opportunities through social media. Been loving Kick and Flickr recently those are probably the two best social medias to me right now. Shout out jj.

How do you feel about AI-generated art and its place in the creative industry?

I fuck with ai one of my favorite anime’s is ghost in the shell. I like all the weird fucked up ai videos I see there’s definitely some new animation styles there that I’ve never seen before. I feel like right now we’re stuck in this weird in between growing pain in the world where technology is taking over and kind of killing a lot of the fun of the old world but I think once the technology gets to a crazy level hopefully we can have a lot of fun with it. Or it’ll suck even more who knows.

What’s been your biggest “pinch me” moment so far in your career?

I don’t know I guess it’s just cool that some people seem to care about what I’m doing. I’m grateful for the opportunities I’ve been given and the shows I’ve been included in. People I really look up to have shown me love which is cool.

Which artists, living or dead, do you feel a connection with?

I can relate to a lot of my favorite artists. I feel like often times when I look into an artist I admire their life stories. They all struggled in some way and life definitely beat them up a lot or they beat themselves up a lot and I can relate to those things. But I think an understanding of beauty comes from an understanding of pain and darkness. If everything was perfect the art would probably suck. I feel like I always lean into the darker side of things subconsciously. I don't really know why. I was making all this work like 1-2 years ago and I was really wrapped up in making it and was never really thinking about it and then I remembered coming home this one day and looking at it all and it just struck me how like scary and dark it all was. I feel like it was just a representation of where I was at in my life at that time. I’ve changed a lot about my life over the last year and I feel like I can definitely see a big change in the work I’m making as a result. I feel like there will always be a dark undertone in my work but I try to look for more beauty now in my work and my life.

If you could collaborate with any artist from any era, who would it be and why?

I always think about making animations out of my drawings. I have this style in my mind that I think would be so dope but I don’t know anything about animation and don’t have time to learn so I’d want to collaborate with whoever could help me bring that to life.

If your art had a soundtrack, what three songs would be on it?

Breakwater 5 full album, Slint ‘Glenn’ and ‘Carol,’ Samiam ‘Don’t Break Me,’ Skrillex ‘With You, Friends (Long Drive),’ ‘Old Star’ by darkthrone

How would you spend your last day?

Being cutty as fuck!!!!

The Tattooed Cat Candle is available for purchase now through the Welcome Design Store