Let’s meet an Embrace Creatives artist partner, Jeff Horton, an Arkansas-based painter and architect who joined me in 2024. Jeff’s work explores the tension between the ordered precision of architectural design and the fluid, organic qualities of the natural landscape. This duality allows him to create abstract works that feel both meticulously constructed and emotionally expressive.
I curated a few or Jeff’s fabric pieces into a group exhibition during my pop-up gallery run and he traveled all the way from his home to Detroit just to be at the opening! Of course, while he was in town he toured our gorgeous and historic buildings.
A LOOK INSIDE THE ARTIST’S STUDIO.
DESCRIBE YOUR IDEAL WORKING ENVIRONMENT.
The studio I work in now is the space I envisioned years ago when I first dreamed of a place where I could fully immerse myself in my art. I designed and built it about 15 years ago, and it has evolved into the sanctuary I need. The 18’ vaulted ceiling lets northern light flood the room throughout the day, reflecting off the white walls and hardwood floors. There’s something about standing in the light as I paint—those moments feel like a conversation between the space, the light, and the work. Large windows overlook the city skyline, and during breaks, I find myself gazing out, letting my thoughts wander, often finding inspiration in those quiet pauses. The layout is open, with tables where I can experiment, spread out materials, or retreat into my sketchbooks. It’s a place where every detail was chosen intentionally—from the easel I built myself to the bookshelves that house my collection of art books and supplies. Being in this space helps me tune out the world and step into the quiet rhythm of creating, where the work and I meet somewhere between focus and flow.
WHAT INSPIRES YOU TO MAKE ART?
The inspiration for me is always rooted in the process. There’s something deeply satisfying about mixing colors, applying them to the canvas, and then sometimes removing them to see the traces of earlier marks. It’s like uncovering hidden layers, lines, and colors—discovering something new within the painting. Over time, my approach has evolved, but at its core, it always circles back to my love of creating and the challenge of making something out of nothing. The process itself is what drives me, and it keeps me coming back to the canvas.
WHO OR WHAT INFLUENCES YOUR STYLE?
My influences come from both my past experiences and the artists I’ve admired. I started painting early, often using books to guide my drawing and painting. In college, I discovered expressionism and the idea of recording what I saw without overthinking or editing—just getting everything down as it came to me. That was when I first felt truly free as an artist. Alberto Giacometti’s work had a huge impact on me. His loose, expressive style and the way he recorded his visual thoughts were mesmerizing, and that approach has stuck with me. Over time, I’ve learned to trust my instincts and let the process lead the way.
Striving to capture the elusive through intersecting lines and continuous, chaotic exploration, I dedicate myself to the creative process, experimenting with new techniques and materials, not giving up, and pushing forward with excitement and a sense of peace in creating.
DO YOU CREATE SPONTANEOUSLY OR ARE YOU A PLANNER?
I create spontaneously, reacting to the marks I make as I go. While I might begin with a loose idea, the painting usually takes on a life of its own. Earlier in my career, I relied on sketches or photographs to guide me because I wasn’t confident in my voice yet. Now, I trust my instincts. I let the abstract marks guide me, following my intuition as the piece evolves in unexpected ways.
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HOW DO YOU SEE YOUR WORK EVOLVING AND WHAT NEW MEDIUMS OR THEMES DO YOU HOPE TO EXPLORE?
Most of my art currently represents spaces that come from memories, that are empowering, and that offer viewers autonomy. I want to further expand on that by exploring more with the sewn canvas and the effect of texture on my paintings. I have been experimenting with these ideas recently, but I can see them becoming a larger influence moving forward. One specific idea I have is to work on unstretched canvas, letting the edges be exposed and raw, and allowing the painting to expand beyond the edge. Using the edge as another element in the painting and exploring how this could change the direction of the painting sounds exciting.
WHAT HAVE COLLECTORS SAID ABOUT YOUR WORK?
Collectors often tell me that my work holds both immediate visual appeal and depth that invites exploration. They’ve said that the colors and structures evoke familiar places, while the abstract nature of the work offers them a sense of personal interpretation. One collector shared that the combination of rural and urban elements in my paintings creates a unique blend of chaos and order, allowing viewers to find their own path through the work. Others have remarked on the energy and emotion in the pieces, as well as the distinctiveness of my style.
CAN YOU EXPLAIN THE DIFFERENT STAGES OF YOUR PROCESS?
I always begin with a white gesso canvas— it has to be white, because the interplay of colors within the white space is significant for me. I then let lines and paint marks flow freely across the surface, starting with oil sticks, a medium that merges pigment with oil and wax, allowing for simultaneous drawing and painting. As I build up layers, I continually overlay with graphite or colored pencil lines, sometimes integrating painted lines. These layers and lines compete with one another until there is harmony or no longer any additional layers that can be added, at which point I consider the piece complete.
WHY DOES YOUR ART STAND APART FROM OTHER WORKS CREATED USING SIMILAR MEDIA?
My architectural influence means my experiences, and exploration reminds and inspires my viewers of their own. I’ve always approached my paintings with the concept of drawing the viewer into the canvas, so they become active participants, just as they are in any space they’ve ever walked into. This idea is constantly changing and being challenged through my work.
WHAT LIFE EXPERIENCES HAVE INFLUENCED YOUR ART THE MOST?
I grew up spending my days exploring the seven acres of woods and pastures on my family’s land in Weston, Missouri. I loved going to art class in grade school, it was my escape from any and all conflicts in my life. I worked hard making art. The process of making art is a peaceful place for me to be. My grandfather, who was my role model, gave me his how-to-paint books that he used to paint from. Immediately I picked up “It’s fun to paint Old Shacks and Barns” whose pages transported me to my neighboring famer’s old barns and abandoned houses that defined my world. Those pages defined the space and experience of who I am and what I aim to capture in my work.
When I was a teenager, I worked for those same farmers in the tobacco fields and barns. I worked long days getting to the tobacco fields early in the mornings and not leaving until early evening. Early mornings heavy dew soaked my clothes through and through as I repetitively cut tobacco. But by early afternoon I worked vigorously, loading the wagons to get out of the hot sun soaked fields and into the shade of the barn. I worked a lot in the barn, feet spread between 2 narrow wood beams three stories up, waiting for the next stick of tobacco to be thrown up to me so I could hang it in the rafters. Up there, I absorbed the dark shadows and patterns of light created from the sun piercing through the old wood board siding. The spaces I experienced in the tobacco barns and my earliest paintings of barns and shacks transformed my way of seeing and formed my vision which I express on the canvas of my paintings.
EMBRACE CREATIVES HAND-PICKS ARTISTS THAT RISE TO ANDREA’S HIGH STANDARDS. IN WHAT WAYS DO YOU FEEL YOUR ART BUSINESS IS PROFESSIONAL?
I’ve co-owned an architectural practice with my wife for over 20 years, where we’ve partnered with institutions and individuals to achieve custom-fit and multifaceted results. My experiences of running a business greatly influences my art practice as I hold myself to a high standard when corresponding with gallery owners, collectors, and art advisers.
DESCRIBE A “GREAT” STUDIO DAY. 🙂
It’s really simple for me, honestly— Being present without judgment in the studio feels like a luxury every time I go to do it. So that looks like getting into the studio early, having 3 canvases started at various stages to begin. Pushing paint around on the canvases with brushes, scrapers, pencils, sticks. Working for 3-4 hours, after taking photos and realizing I’ve moved the paintings forward, I feel great.
DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE TOOL OR MEDIUM AND IF SO, WHY IS IT YOUR FAVORITE?
Oil Sticks are my go-to medium right now. The combination of pigment and wax together in a stick form provides a unique tactile experience as I’m holding each color. I use them to make lines, but also to fill in areas that I want to change quickly. It’s a bit like sketching in architecture—each stroke shapes the space in its own unique way.
TELL US SOMETHING FUN ABOUT YOU
My wife and I moved from the San Francisco Bay Area to Little Rock as a pitstop so to speak. The recession at the time made living in the bay area challenging. Architecture firms in my wife’s home town were hiring so we decided to regroup in Little Rock. Our ultimate goal was to stay a few months then follow some of our classmates to the east coast where firms were starting to hire again. Those few months turned into years. Living in Little Rock proved to be an unexpected treasure. We’ve stayed ever since!
IF SOMEONE CAME TO YOU WITH A DREAM PROJECT, WHAT WOULD IT BE?
I dream of creating a large-scale painting for a public building where people from all walks of life could experience it. For me, reaching the masses with my art means more opportunities to empower viewers by offering them the autonomy to interpret, remember, and engage as their sense of wonder leads them.
LIST RECENT PUBLICATIONS YOU AND YOUR WORK HAVE BEEN FEATURED IN.
Clancy, Sean. “Artist Horton always exploring” Arkansas Democrat-Gazette 22, December 2023
Froyd, Susan. “Art Attack: Find Art for All in Denver and Beyond” Westword, 17 August 2022
Arkansas Art Scene Blog. Interview with artist Jeff Horton, June 20, 2022,
Paglia, Michael. “Review: Michael Warren and Walker Fine Art Display Artistic Code Makers.” Westword 5 February 2020
Studio Visit, Volume 40, Winter 2017
WHAT FAMOUS PERSON WOULD YOU LIKE TO OWN YOUR ARTWORK?
David Byrne.
For more information on this artist or to schedule a Meet & Greet, contact Andrea.