Meet Jamie Chasse | Fine Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jamie Chasse and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jamie, have you ever found yourself in a spot where you had to decide whether to give up or keep going? How did you make the choice?
I believe you need that burning desire deep inside your heart and mind, that itch to create something and push past perceived limitations. I was asked recently what my back up plan was if my art career didn’t work out. It stopped me briefly because I have never thought of having a back up plan, no plan B. Honestly, things have been extremely challenging for me lately, moving from the northeast last year to South Florida. I’ve hard some dark times here personally, getting tested on many levels it feels like, but what it’s done is make my family and I so much stronger and better for it. I have become closer to my god and my faith, which is giving me all the strength to keep going.

I’m very fortunate to have an amazingly strong, supportive, and caring wife, along with three beautiful children. Often times they are my fuel to get through challenging times, to keep going, I don’t want to let them down, I want the best for them. One look at their sweet innocent faces can ignite the fire and passion inside of me and really get me back on the path of positivety and creativity.

You have to be able to adapt, work as hard as you can, do whatever needs to be done, push through the tough times and keep your wits about you at the same time. I have learned this past year to really embrace being uncomfortable, for that is real growth, and a sign that you are on the correct track whatever that may be. Failures are only failures if you quit, If you keep going, never giving up, those perceived failures are what mold you into your future better self.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I have been blessed and am grateful to have an artist’s eye and hand from a young age. I also learned the value and satisfaction of hardwork as a child from my father who was in construction, a steel worker, and one of best in his trade.

Getting introduced to the airbrush at the age of 12 forever changed the course of my life. I have not put it down since, and even at the age of 46 I am still learning and striving to come up with new techniques and uses for it in my artwork, constant evolving. I did excel in school and my studies as well, graduating at the top of my class, I turned down full engineering scholarships to attend art school. Art school wasn’t quite for me either, made it to my junior year and left to pursue my art career, at that point it was automotive/motorcycle airbrushing. It was not easy, but I learned more and at a faster pace teaching myself, hands on, trial and error. I also worked as a steel worker with my father for 5 years, to help pay the bills and develop my craft as a painter. I erected steel buildings by day, and then airbrushed in the evenings and weekends, and would also get some gym time in as well as fitness and bodybuilding has always been a big part of my life. The experience and knowledge I gained from the time worked with my father is irreplaceable, I am truly thankful for that.

Through persistence, hard work, adaptability, creativity and a strong desire for perfection, I am definitely a perfectionist. I have continued on a path that now gives me the opportunity to collaborate with many incredible artists, galleries, private collectors, museums, and art conservators. Chasse Fine Art Finishes provides painting services on all types of metal sculpture, from small indoor works to monumental sizes. The work can be performed in my studio or onsite.

There are a few things that set me apart from others, which are skills that have been developed over many years. I am capable of procuring flawless, long lasting, and diverse finishes regardless of the size or complexity of a sculpture. My proficiency in airbrushing and larger spraying applications is a combination not many have, along with an extensive knowledge of materials and processes. Also my construction experience and rigging expertise is extremely valuable for the monumental projects.

My newest endeavor Jamie Chasse Studio, has been inspired and is in respects a merging of my airbrush art career and the inspiration and experiences I gain from my collaborations in the sculpture world. I am pursing my own fine art career, painting detailed, photorealistic images currently on mirror polished stainless steel panels. I use a combination of transparent dyes, opaques, and high gloss to matte finishes to provide unique appearances on the stainless steel. These paintings have been pushing me out of my comfort zone once again, I find great satisfaction and enjoyment in these latest creations.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Having only lived here in South Florida for a year, I am still exploring myself. I do enjoy art galleries, authentic cuisines, especially Cuban or South American. Live sporting events are always exciting, and the beach is a definite also.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Sheila Chasse, my wife, her beauty inside and out, her strength and will are ever inspiring. God has blessed us with our greatest creations, our three children, Logan, Mason, and Rosely. We met by fate, and now we live with faith and gratitude in our lives. The day I met her truly changed my life, together we make an incredible team that is getting better and stronger every day.

Website: www.chassefaf.com www.explicitairbrush.com

Instagram: @thexplicit1 @jamiechassestudio

Linkedin: Jamie Chasse