Jason Sacran, 1980 ~ Plein air painter

Jason Sacran has a BFA in painting from Tennessee Tech University, and credits towards an MFA from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco.

Jason and his family live in Fort Smith, Arkansas, where he was the curator for the Fort Smith Art Center for almost three years.

In 2010 Jason became a full-time artist/painter, and part-time instructor for the University of Arkansas Fort Smith.

Jason is also the Arkansas state ambassador for the Portrait Society of America.

Jason Sacran was born and raised in the middle Tennessee area.

He began to show interest in creating at a very young age, drawing and making things as early as he can remember.

With encouraging support from his mother and others, Jason took this passion into adulthood, graduating with his Bachelors of Fine Arts degree from Tennessee Technological University.

Jason was married with his first child before graduating, and soon had his second child before moving to Fort Smith, Arkansas in 2007.

There, Jason became the curator of the Fort Smith Art Center (now Fort Smith Regional Museum), and an instructor at the University of Arkansas - Fort Smith.

He entered into a Masters of Fine Arts degree program at the Academy of Arts University in San Francisco, CA, but needing to provide for his young family, Jason put his graduate school endeavors on hold.

In 2010 he went fulltime as an artist/painter, and has since been invited to many exhibitions and awarded many times with such organizations as the Portrait Society of America, Oil Painters of America and the American Impressionists Society among others.

Jason has also had featured articles with publications such as Art of the West, Southwest Art, International Artist, Artist Magazine and PleinAir Magazine.

Jason also teaches studio and outdoor workshops all over the country.

Although known for his figurative work, Jason is quickly rising as a top outdoor painter.

Statement My interest is in painting/documenting things of today, especially the overlooked and familiar aspects of everyday life – scenes we pass by everyday or people we know, but rarely take the time to fully consider.

In the chaos of daily life, I believe we all take the simple and familiar for granted.

Sometimes they are the vary things we come to remember and even miss.

He has had several exhibitions and been awarded many times for his works and achievements including a first place award in the Portrait Society of Americas 2011 Members Competition, Best of Show in the 2010 Wisconsin Plein Air Painter Association Annual Competition and Best of Show in the 2010 Winthrop Rockefeller Institution Invitational.

Although known for his figurative and portrait work, Jason is quickly rising as a top plein air painter, and considers plein air one of, if not his favorite subject.

'In general, my work is about the process of creating by painting subjects that evoke a mood or feeling introspectively. I am interested in documenting things of today, mostly with overlooked or even forgotten aspects of everyday life - scenes we pass by every day, objects we often use, people we know well, but hardly ever think twice about. In the chaos of daily life, I believe we all take the simple and familiar things for granted. Sometimes they are the very things we come to miss'.

“What I admire in an artist is the ability to convey authenticity through the work; i.e., choosing and pursuing a truthfulness in both the vision and the execution. I think Jason Sacran is one of those rare artists whose work seems thoroughly authentic. His character portraits are insightful and beautifully rendered, with great feeing and empathy, and his plein-air landscapes are exhilarating examples of spontaneous response to nature. He is definitely a talent here to stay” - Budd Harris Bishop, Director Emeritus, Harn Museum of Art, University of Florida, Gainesville.