Meet some oblivious monsters at gallery (401)

Jason FreedmanTo say that Jason Freedman draws monsters is an understatement. He doesn’t just draw them – he brings them to life. His creatures are filled with glee, and looking at his troublemakers evokes merriment. Like the monsters, which he describes as “off-beat, colorful and full of life,” their creator is joyful and fun. This stay-at-home dad is having a great time drawing, and yet, he’s slightly self-conscious about the amount of enjoyment he feels and credit he receives for something that’s essentially playtime.

“Monsters who don’t know they’re monsters”   came into being by chance. In second grade, Freedman’s son was embarrassed by the notes his dad would put inside his lunchbox, so Freedman engaged his inner elementary school student and sketched a drawing instead of writing a message. The Nov. 4, 2009, exchange (every card bears a date) of slightly cheesy for winsomely clever proved successful. Freedman and his daily drawings were a huge hit. At every lunch, his son Danny looked forward to discovering what his dad had dreamed up. True to his philosophy, “Something different every day,” Freedman continues sketching new pictures to amuse his kids – his daughter Kenzie also expressed enthusiasm for the lovable creatures.

Freedman shares with pride that almost all of the monsters make it back home from school. Their wrinkled and stained state never deters the kids from wanting to save them so that they can look through their collection at a later point. When Freedman came to pick up Kenzie from camp this summer, he was surprised to find that she shared the monsters she’d received in dad’s daily letters with her friends. Hearing the girls in her cabin rave about the drawings, Freedman took out his business cards and presented them with more colorful creatures.

Looking at the monsters, one is prompted to assign meaning to them. Freedman reveals that listening to people’s stories about his creations is his favorite part of the process. It’s always interesting to him to find out what other people see. The drawings undergo a number of changes until they reach the final version (one that’s been outlined with marker, as well as given a background, cleaned up, colorized and shaded using GIMP – GNU Image Manipulation Program). While the end result might differ substantially from the initial sketch, Freedman holds dear his beginning flights of fancy.

He doesn’t have a definite idea of the type of drawing he will make until it’s done. He starts by sketching shapes and seeing where they take him. Sometimes, Freedman doesn’t know the nature of the beast until he turns his emerging idea upside down. Then, he notices the outlines of discernible body parts, the number of which he always tries to vary from monster to monster. One creature may have only two horns while the other has four. Nevertheless, despite their physical differences, the monsters share trademark amiability. They’re not scary at all. In fact, they appear as if they’d be thrilled to play a game of hide-and-go-seek, providing you don’t mind that some of them walk sideways.

Just as he never knows where the pencil might lead him, Freedman is open to any spontaneous inspiration. He says that one of the most popular monsters appeared to him during lunch with his daughter. As they were sitting outside of a fast-food restaurant, they noticed Gentle Giant kneeling down and reaching toward a tree. Freedman promptly captured the monster with his phone camera and sketched him once he got home. Who knew that some of the best creatures loiter around, hoping for a handout of fries?

A self-taught artist, Freedman doesn’t believe in excuses. When someone told him, “I can’t draw a straight line,” he responded, “That’s why I use a ruler.” Gaining confidence took some time. The realization that he shouldn’t judge himself against other artists helped strengthen his resolve. After all, Freedman says, everyone can be creative in his own way.

He began fine-tuning his creativity at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, where he dabbled in photography and played various instruments in the Minuteman Marching Band. There he met Karen, a twirler in the band, and they fell in love. Freedman says that his wife is very encouraging and supporting of his work. He says that he chose to call his creations Uncle J’s Monsters because he was used to being known as the approachable uncle to Karen’s many nieces and nephews.

He says he is “genuinely grateful to Erin Moseley [director of Arts & NextGen Engagement at the Dwares JCC] for the opportunity to not only exhibit [his] monsters but also her offer to host [his] first solo show.” Freedman is “super excited to see all [his] friends and fans at the Opening Night reception on the 11th of September [at 7 p.m.] – the more the merrier.” At the show, he’ll present 50 original prints mounted on wood panel boxes, hand-numbered and signed.

Freedman’s plans include pursuing more gallery shows and participating in local art festivals. He’s also looking into expanding online sales of UJM prints and other goods that might include a book and T-shirts. His major dream, however, is to collaborate with a local university animation program. Freedman says, “To see my monsters come to life would be excellent!”