Jason Dustin

Kosciusko, Mississippi

This is a painting of Forest, Mississippi's Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup, based on one of his album covers. I live in Kosciusko and wanted to find an artist who was from that area. Crudup recorded "That's All Right" in 1946. Elvis' first song and hit was a 1956 version, which was retitled "That's All Right, Mama", released in 1956. Some music historians point to Crudup's original as the beginning of rock music. Personally, i was struck by how 1950's-radio-ready Crudup's version was (Elvis version is arranged in nearly the same manner). I also liked the sentiment of the original title, considered independent of the rest of the song: "That's All Right"

I'm a 49-year-old New Hampshire transplant, who is a fan of both painting and painting history. I began wrestling with oil paint late - around the age of 30. However, I've also been fortunate to find myself in the classroom of two experienced painters who understood the value of not only skill and hard work, but exploration and chance (the subconscious?). I have too many favorite painters to list, but the list is varied stylistically, and includes Cezanne, Matisse, Rembrandt and Diebenkorn. For me, painting is a personal and safe space, within which I encounter and release my thoughts (typically obsessive and critical). I dig right in and simultaneously attempt to allow a piece to reveal itself, and be what it is supposed to be.