Jake McCord, American (1945-2009), Clock, 1999, folk / outsider art painting on wood, 28 1/2 15

Jake McCord American (1945-2009) Clock, 1999 folk / outsider art painting on wood Signed and dated lower left. Biography from the Archives of askART: Albert R. Jake "J.T." McCord was born December 28, 1945. From the 1970s on, he lived in Thomson, Georgia, cutting grass for the city in the summer & driving a truck in the winter. McCord had been born at the family farm in Lincoln County, where his whole family, including Jake & his 11 brothers worked planting & picking crops. Reportedly he started painting in 1984, after he saw "some white ladies taking painting lessons at the Hawes Paint Store" in Thomson. Jake said his art career actually began as a result of buying a used car. He didn't get a key to the trunk with the car, and it took him weeks of working at the lock with a screwdriver to get it open. In the trunk, he found a board on which someone had attempted a painting like the ladies in the paint store. Jake decided he could do better, so he took the board out and painted his own picture over it. His first subject was an alligator he saw on television, a source from which he derived most of his inspiration. As a rule, he painted on plywood nailing his finished paintings to the wall, under his covered porch. Jake liked to "showcase" his art on his front porch; and he was adamant about the amount of time a piece needed to be displayed, before it could be sold. His bright, bold, humorous paintings were usually painted on boards, & his favorite subjects were farm animals, cats, dogs, houses, & women with big hairdos. He claimed his art was "just for fun." Newspaper Article: Raw Chatter: About Albert R. Jake "JT" McCordBy Billy W. Hobbs The Augusta Mirror September 9, 2009. 28 1/2 15 3/4"W