Kentucky-based artist Jeremy Booth captures the essence of the American West through his bold, minimalist style, focusing on the iconic imagery of cowboys and Western landscapes. His work, which blends contemporary design with the timeless grit of the Wild West, has gained acclaim at Christie\u2019s and Sotheby\u2019s and drawn in notable clients like Wrangler, Nike, Apple, Warby Parker, and British GQ.\u00a0<\/p>\n
In this interview, Jeremy shares insights into his creative journey\u2014from early days in digital illustration to recent ventures in painting\u2014and his mission to bridge the digital and traditional art worlds, all while preserving the authenticity of his subjects.<\/p>\n
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Brady Walker: Welcome to Makerspace Spotlights. I\u2019m excited to have painter and digital artist Jeremy Booth with us. Jeremy, could you give a quick intro to your journey as an artist?<\/strong><\/p>\n Jeremy Booth: Sure. I started with graphic design in high school, but everything shifted when I found Adobe Illustrator. It felt more natural, so I decided to stick with it. My work was experimental at first, but I knew I wanted to pursue commercial illustration and needed to find my voice.<\/p>\n Then I got sick and had my first grand mal seizure\u2014a scary time with no clear answers from doctors. Art became my escape and helped me discover my place in the commercial illustration world, laying the foundation for where I am today.<\/p>\n After six months, I had brain surgery, and everything\u2019s been good since. It\u2019s been 13 or 14 years now. I built a portfolio, signed with agencies in France, North America, and the UK, and my commercial illustration career took off.<\/p>\n I worked freelance for big clients like Stella Artois, Apple, and British GQ. But in 2020, I wanted a change and joined Coinbase as a product illustrator. Around that time, I got interested in NFTs, minted my first piece on Foundation, and started transitioning to fine art, focusing on Western and physical art. That\u2019s my journey in a nutshell.<\/p>\n Sons of the West <\/em>(2024) by Jeremy Booth (night & day versions)<\/p>\n BW: Quite the journey\u2014going through seizures and brain surgery and coming out more solidly yourself.<\/strong><\/p>\n JB: Yeah, life feels much more precious after that. I see value in artwork in a way I never did before; it\u2019s been foundational for my story.<\/p>\n BW: So, you were a commercial artist\u2014when did you start painting? Had you always dabbled in it?<\/strong><\/p>\n JB: I painted geometric shapes on canvas for a couple of months about seven years ago. It taught me some basics like crisp lines and color mixing, but I moved on from it then.<\/p>\n When I transitioned to digital fine art, I realized that stepping into the fine art world let me choose my own subject matter, so I started exploring Western art. Around that time, I met Robert Hagan, who\u2019s been painting the West for over 40 years. We curated some of his work, and he eventually invited me to Kansas to experience and capture the Western lifestyle.<\/p>\n Hagan inspired me to try traditional painting. Coming from the digital world, I wanted to bridge into traditional art, and painting felt like the way to do that. I see it as going out as a kind of \u201cmissionary\u201d from web3 into the traditional art world to fuse both. That\u2019s my mission, and Hagan really sparked that desire. So, I tried it out, and here we are.\u00a0<\/p>\n That happened in spring of \u201923\u2014that\u2019s when I started painting.<\/p>\n BW: But you already had a strong sense of yourself as an artist and your style.<\/strong><\/p>\n JB: Yeah, painting is tough. When people ask what\u2019s harder\u2014digital or physical\u2014I say physical. I\u2019ve done digital for so long that it\u2019s second nature, but painting requires breath control for line work and color mixing to match my digital palettes. I can\u2019t just select colors; I have to layer them to make them opaque. It\u2019s challenging, and I\u2019m still learning.<\/p>\n Lost in Moffat County <\/em>by Jeremy Booth (night & day versions)<\/p>\n BW: Was the job with Coinbase serendipity, or were you already interested in blockchain and NFTs?<\/strong><\/p>\n JB: I knew someone on the illustration team who mentioned they were looking for illustrators. I started as a contractor for three months, then went full-time for a year and a half until their first big layoff.<\/p>\n BW: In researching for this interview, I learned that some ranches host open photoshoots. How often do you go to those?<\/strong><\/p>\n JB: It\u2019s fairly common if you know where to look. Ranching is tough, and workshops provide extra income. I reach out to ranches, and they\u2019re usually open to it. It\u2019s a welcoming community.<\/p>\n This year, I went in spring with my wife, who\u2019s a professional photographer. She helps a lot. I would\u2019ve gone again in the fall, but I broke my foot, so she went alone. We go periodically for fresh imagery and inspiration. Being on their land, in that landscape, with those people\u2014it\u2019s amazing.<\/p>\n BW: That tees me up for my next question. Was there an early interaction that gave you a deeper connection to this world, beyond just aesthetics?<\/strong><\/p>\n JB: Definitely, I\u2019d say respect for the horses. I\u2019ve learned that painting a horse accurately means avoiding awkward expressions or poses. For instance, if their ears are back, it can signal distress\u2014something I avoid in my work. I aim to honor the horse as much as the cowboy.<\/p>\n Over the Ridge <\/em>(2023) by Jeremy Booth<\/p>\n BW: When did you start to feel like an insider, if ever?<\/strong><\/p>\n JB: I\u2019m slowly getting there, but I still feel like an outsider. This culture has so many nuances, but everyone is incredibly welcoming and willing to teach. I\u2019m constantly learning.<\/p>\n BW: Do you stay in touch with people you\u2019ve met, like ranchers or cowboys?<\/strong><\/p>\n JB: Yes, especially with the owners of Sombrero Ranches in Colorado. They host an annual event called the Great American Horse Drive, moving hundreds of horses. They even sent us jackets as a thank-you. My wife sent them a photo, and I\u2019m sending a print. We still keep in touch.<\/p>\n BW: That\u2019s amazing! I\u2019d love to see you paint a drone shot of a big cattle drive.<\/strong><\/p>\n JB: Oh yeah, that would be crazy.<\/p>\n Cowboy Luck <\/em>(2024) by Jeremy Booth (night & day versions)<\/p>\n BW: When did this subject really come alive for you?<\/strong><\/p>\n JB: When Robert Hagan invited me to a ranch in Kansas. Before that, I was using 3D models for reference, but Robert said, \u201cCome with me, take real photos.\u201d He\u2019s a legend, so of course I went. Capturing those moments firsthand changed everything.<\/p>\n BW: What was the most intense or vivid moment from visiting the ranches?<\/strong><\/p>\n JB: In Kansas, we were photographing near a ridge where they drove horses down into a pond. They told us to stand by a large tree so the horses would go around us if anything went off course. At one point, the horses split around me on both sides\u2014it was wild! A similar, less intense moment happened at Sombrero Ranches with some Longhorn steers that veered a bit too close, but a cowboy got them back on track.<\/p>\n BW: What surprised you most about this culture as you\u2019ve immersed yourself in it?<\/strong><\/p>\n JB: Definitely the people\u2014everyone\u2019s so welcoming, kind, and interested in my work. It\u2019s been refreshing to experience the kindness of Western folks.<\/p>\n Chaos Enters In <\/em>(2024) by Jeremy Booth (night & day versions)<\/p>\n BW: What can you tell me about <\/strong>Chaos Enters In<\/em><\/strong>?<\/strong><\/p>\n JB: That\u2019s Ben, whom I photographed at Sombrero. He had a pistol, and I wanted to create some mystery. The background fire wasn\u2019t real\u2014it\u2019s meant to feel chaotic and leave room for people to build their own narrative around him.<\/p>\n BW: Your pieces feel like lived-in stories, likely from your illustrator background. What place does femininity have in your work? These are all quite masculine pieces.<\/strong><\/p>\n JB: There are some moments of femininity, like cowgirls, though it\u2019s a masculine profession overall. We don\u2019t often see many cowgirls at these locations, but my wife recently photographed some, and even a Black cowboy, which I\u2019m excited to paint.\u00a0<\/p>\n The hard-working spirit definitely comes through in the work. That\u2019s the portrayal you get, male or female.\u00a0<\/p>\n I\u2019m excited about our reference material too\u2014we photographed a cowboy named Jamon Turner<\/a> from Louisiana, who teaches inner-city kids to ride and was a stuntman on 1923, a Yellowstone production.<\/p>\n BW: That\u2019s cool. When painting, do you see your subjects as characters or icons?<\/strong><\/p>\n JB: Always an icon first. A cowboy hat and a horse are iconic. But I also try to tell a larger story, which feels natural when you\u2019re photographing them doing their normal work\u2014it\u2019s authentic in a way that 3D models can\u2019t capture.<\/p>\n
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