Jody Harris

In Dalton, Georgia lies the birthplace of Jody L. Harris. From an early age, this artist was drawing and creating art. In a northwest Georgia City known for carpet instead of visual artists, it was hard for Jody to find major artistic influences and useful outlets. During the early search, he remembers his grandmother painting nature scenes with watercolors while his uncle was an illustrator. The art bug would bite Jody giving him an alternative to sports. At this stage in his life, he learned to draw and experiment with creative expression. As Jody entered high school, his worldview and perspectives began to change as his introduction to artists Jean-Michel Basquiat, Keith Haring and Lawrence Weiner arrived. Jody attended high school where he trained beside artists Christy Kinard, Matthew Green and Toby Penney. The industrial atmosphere in a small town was not helping Jody grow properly as a well-rounded artist. He decided a change of scenery would help him grow and expand.

After graduating from Dalton High School with honors and awards in the Fine Arts, Jody came to Atlanta to attend the Atlanta College of Art on a scholarship. The energetic atmosphere Atlanta offered was different from life in a small city. He took advantage of being around other artists from all over the world. Jody expanded by working with clay and wood. He also began working with paper mache, plaster, spray paint, fabric markers, and airbrushes. Atlanta, big city life and the art scene proved a challenge that Jody never let scare him. Jody has lived and worked in Atlanta since 1994. While working hard on becoming a solid painter, sculptor, and fine artist, Jody focuses on displaying his work. He has displayed work in Chattanooga, Chicago, Savannah, Dalton, Birmingham, and Atlanta in selected shows. He has commercial work in retail stores and boutiques around the southeast. Jody is a member of the Georgia Artists Registry.

After finishing his education, Jody started showing his work in galleries and at events. While enduring the starving artist plight and dealing with depression, Jody found the strength to move on re-energized to concentrate on making art and having fun doing it. He feels the goal of becoming a full time self-employed artist is still in reach. Furniture design & decorating, home décor, children’s gifts, crafts, greeting cards and photography are some of the things Jody is adding to his creative arsenal. Art is a tool capable of promoting change. The world can be hard and depressing at times. His goals include becoming an artist whose work helps break down barriers, avoiding being labeled or categorized, benefiting from his artwork and finding balance in life.