Beneath the vibrant moniker, ‘Spring Break Jake’, lies an artist whose work seamlessly intertwines the sun-soaked nostalgia of tropical escapism with the raw introspection of life’s darker moments.
Known for his textured, multi-layered paintings, Jake invites us into a world where palm trees sway amidst skeletons and light and shadow dance in a delicate balance. His art isn’t just a visual feast—it’s a deeply personal narrative of mental health, resilience, and hope.
In this candid interview, Jake shares the inspiration behind his unique style for Spring Break Jake, his journey through anxiety and depression, and the powerful message he hopes his art delivers: that even in the darkest times, the promise of light persists. Laura Bartlett dives into his story and discovers the transformative power of art.
Let’s kick things off with your creative moniker—Spring Break Jake. How did you land on this name, and what does it say about the art you create?
Spring Break Jake started out simply as a nickname I got from my old boss but really evolved to encompass the kind of art I love to create. Even though I use a lot of darker imagery and black paint, my work ultimately contains positive messages about life while encouraging healthy escapism that lets us gain perspective on whatever someone might be going through.
I’m also very fortunate that some of my happiest childhood memories are family trips to Florida, so palm trees, the ocean, and warm tropical colours have been deeply ingrained in me as representations of all things good & positive in life.
Your work has a distinct fusion of tropical imagery with darker, more introspective elements. Can you talk about how this juxtaposition reflects your personal journey and mental health?
A big part of my mental health journey has been acceptance. Accepting my emotions, accepting the present moment, accepting where I’m at internally.
So, a big reason for the contrast is to encourage the acceptance of the fact that you just can’t have the good without the bad, the light without the dark. Often the hard times even make the good ones that much better. Having both allows us to truly appreciate being in the light.
My aim is to also acknowledge that nothing is permanent and things can and do get better. There have been times in my life when I truly didn’t want to exist and convinced myself that everyone I knew would be better off without me. Cut to today and I’ve honestly never been healthier, happier, or more excited about life. The hope is that my art will convey to the viewer that it’s possible for them, too.
The term ‘Memento Mori’ comes up often in your descriptions. How does the reminder of mortality shape your artistic process and your approach to life itself?
Simply put, I can’t think of a better reason than the fact that all this will eventually end to make the lives we have right now as great as possible, not only for ourselves but for those we love and our communities at large.
Living with depression has caused me to think about death quite a lot, so much so that I realized it’s possible for it not to hold much power over us, and even to be viewed in a positive way.

I know some people believe in an afterlife or reincarnation, but I think this incredibly brief glimpse of consciousness is all we get. While that will certainly sound bleak to some, it’s pushed me to be incredibly grateful to even exist at all, and been a huge motivation for taking care of my mental health.
You’ve said that your art explores both the “light & the dark” of the human experience. How do you balance these contrasting themes in your work without them feeling forced or disconnected?
Dang, great question! To be honest, I think for me they’re easy to balance because even though they’re seemingly opposite, the light & the dark are always present in everyday life. They’re not forced in each & every moment that they arise, so I guess when I’m painting, I never feel like I’m forcing them into the composition.
There’s a rawness to the way you approach mental health in your art. What role do vulnerability and transparency play in both your creations and your personal life?
They play huge roles! Learning that it’s safe to be vulnerable in my personal life has led to a deeper connection with my partner, closer friendships, better relationships with my parents, everything. It’s had similar effects creatively, too.
Being vulnerable in my paintings gives people a sort of permission to be vulnerable back when viewing them. I’ve had amazing conversations at shows & fairs with people who connect with a piece and then feel comfortable sharing their own experiences.
Your paintings are heavily textured with layers of materials and paint. Can you explain how this multi-layered technique mirrors the layers of the human psyche and your own emotional depth?
Despite how hidden we might think our deep inner layers are, they always show themselves in some capacity, even in small, subtle ways. How we think, how we feel, and how we react to certain situations is all a mix of nature and nurture and comes from past experiences.

So pieces of cardboard, found materials and other textures might end up nearly hidden by layers and layers of paint, but they’re still there and still at least somewhat visible on the surface, informing the piece as a whole. Everything we’ve experienced has shaped us in one way or another, so the aim is for the materials to reflect the fact that our own layers, whether good or bad, have shaped every part of who we are.
You’ve openly mentioned that your art reflects your experiences with anxiety and depression. How do you navigate translating such personal emotions into something visually compelling for your audience?
Honestly, no clue! My worst bout of depression was during high school, so on some level, I’m basically making the art and trying to be the artist that my 15-year-old self desperately needed. Each piece I make is absolutely part of the process of healing my inner child, so the fact that anyone finds them visually compelling really just feels like incredibly good luck!
Therapy seems to be a significant influence on your work. How do you integrate your therapy discussions into your art without feeling like you’re oversharing, or do you feel that vulnerability actually helps you connect better with your viewers?
Great question, I’m definitely still navigating this one! I do often worry that I’m oversharing or that people will be turned away by this kind of openness about mental health, especially since I’m a man and a lot of people still hold on to antiquated ideas of masculinity that say men shouldn’t be vulnerable.
However, the more I show my work, the more I realize that that fear is pretty much all in my head. The level of connection I’ve had with people who really get what I’m doing has been incredible, and it’s precisely because of the level of vulnerability in my work.
As an artist, how do you find ways to create work that resonates with others on such an intimate level while still maintaining your own sense of creative freedom and authenticity?
Damn, these are good questions, haha to be honest, I just consider myself lucky that the images I most want to paint (skeletons) are capable of representing everyone. We all have skeletons on the inside, and we all go through some level of hardship at some point in our lives, so even though a lot of people aren’t into the ‘darker’ imagery, they’re still at least able to see themselves and their experiences reflected in the work.
What role does nature play in your art, especially considering Bend, Oregon’s environment? How does your location inspire your work, both thematically and visually?
While Bend’s nature isn’t directly reflected since I paint a lot of palm trees and tropical plants, the fact that this is such a nature-centric town still plays a big role in my art. Plants and natural elements are the main imagery I use to represent the good things in life, so experiencing the positive mental effects of being surrounded by beautiful forests and mountains further solidifies that feeling and continues to inspire me thematically.
When you look back at your earlier pieces, how has your understanding of mental health and vulnerability evolved through your art over time?
It’s honestly a trip to look back because it’s almost like looking at a timeline of my progress in therapy. Not only can I see myself becoming a better painter and continuing to define/refine my practice, but I can see how my outlook on life and mental health has evolved and even matured.

I believe even more in the power of personal vulnerability to encourage others to be vulnerable, as well as gaining a deeper understanding of the seemingly contrasting fact that every single one of us really is immensely different, yet we all encounter extremely similar and very human feelings and experiences. We all contain multitudes, yet there’s so much overlap between them.
In your opinion, what does the art world often get wrong about mental health, and how do you aim to challenge or correct that perception through your work?
To be blunt, I absolutely hate the art world’s reverence for the tortured artist. I can say with 100% confidence that it is a total myth that you need to be suffering to make your art. While a lot of amazing art has come out of difficult life experiences, artists don’t need to be in a continuous state of poor mental health or to only see the world through a dark and brooding lens in order to make their best work.
I hope my art continues to reflect that over time, and I can sort of lead by example. As I continue therapy and continue to learn about mental health, my own well-being will keep improving along with my paintings. That’s the goal anyway!
You’ve mentioned reducing stigma as a key goal. How do you envision your work making a tangible impact on how mental health is perceived and discussed?
Frankly, I’m not sure if I’ll have any kind of ‘tangible’ impact, seeing as, in my lifetime, I’ll probably only reach a very small number of people. But if even a few people view mental health and vulnerability in a new way after encountering my work, the hope is that they might spread that mentality through their circles, and then their friends and families spread it to their circles, and onward. As far as I can tell, everything really does start with individual change and grows from there.
Is there a particular moment or piece that you’ve created that stands out to you as a turning point in your personal or artistic growth?
I’d have to say there are two pieces that stand out for me in terms of growth. The first was a painting called Birds of a Feather Heal Together that, to me, felt a bit more surreal and abstract than previous work and made me want to push myself more in that direction.

Also, a piece titled Introspection was a very different composition for me that I really loved. I also incorporated white charcoal in a bigger way than ever before, and it felt like a real turning point for including that medium more in all of my work.
There’s a certain playfulness in your brand, even though the topics are deep. How do you walk that fine line between fun and serious in your work?
I think it all stems from trying not to take myself too seriously!
So, one thing I love about the ocean is just how small I feel when I’m nearby. It never sea-ses (get it!?) to put things in perspective and remind me that so many of the things we think matter or feel huge in our heads are actually pretty insignificant.
That feeling has always brought me a huge sense of relief and peace and is really what I mean by healthy escapism, so it’s a feeling or an attitude that I try to have come across in my work. We can care deeply about heavy things but still maintain joy, humour, and fun in our day-to-day lives.
If you had to describe your artistic process for Spring Break Jake in three words, what would they be and why?
Present
Contemplative
Loose
I chose present because nothing puts me fully in the present moment, in a deep state of flow, the way painting does. I went with contemplative because often times while painting, I’ll pause and wonder why I did what I did or where certain gestures or ideas came from. Figuring out the why then typically informs where the rest of the painting goes.
And finally, I chose loose because even though I typically come into a painting with a plan in mind for the final composition, the rest of the process where I’m glueing cardboard to the panel, sculpting patches of old paint, and generally just adding a lot of texture is very free, loose, and intuitive.
You’ve created a strong connection between your art and the idea of embracing both the light and the dark. Can you share a specific piece that represents this duality most vividly for you?
I think it’d have to be one of my newer pieces, Safe in the Shade of Palms. While it’s mostly black & white, the idea was to depict someone who might be in the midst of the dark times but is still able to hang onto and look towards the light that’s coming. This is someone who’s recognized that nothing is forever, including the dark times, and that the light will be that much sweeter having made it through.
Collaborations are an exciting part of any creative journey. Are there any collaborations on the horizon that you’re excited about, either with other artists or brands?
My friend Greg Amanti! He’s an amazing sculptor and has done some awesome curation work. We recently applied to the SPRING/BREAK Art Fair together, where he would curate the booth space around some of my new pieces. Hopefully, by the time this comes out, we’ll know if we got in!
Also, I’m really excited to team up with a couple of awesome galleries this summer. I’m currently working on a new collection titled Night Life. It’s still about mental health but, more specifically, the effects of sleep on our mental health, as insomnia has played a big role in my depression and anxiety. That body of work is showing this June in Portland, OR, at Purple Door Gallery and in August at The Bunker in San Luis Obispo, CA.
Outside of your art, what are some of the practices or habits that you personally use to maintain mental well-being?
THERAPY. I can’t say enough good things about the positive impact it’s had on every aspect of my life. Also, mindfulness meditation, keeping a gratitude journal, exercising, and, of course, painting! Being able to fully use the creative part of my brain is an absolute gift I don’t take for granted.
Our readers love to travel, what destination is at the top of your bucket list?
Palau! My partner and I are big scuba divers, and I’ve heard great things about the diving there. Plus, it’s a string of small, isolated tropical islands, aka my heaven! Also, I have to mention the Galapagos because it would be unreal to see the schools of hundreds of hammerhead sharks.
Lastly, what do you hope people take away from your work? If they leave with one thought or feeling after experiencing your art, what would it be?
A sense of hope and solidarity. That’s probably cheesy as hell but whatever, everyone deserves to feel seen & understood, it’d be amazing if my art can do that.
Where can people follow you and find out more…
The best way would be to sign up for my newsletter at springbreakjake.com! I send out regular studio updates and new work alerts, and every Monday, I send out a few good news stories relating to things like art, mental health, & the environment. I’m also on Instagram @springbreak.jake.