Jivantoro Mentis 1916-2012
Mentis' started to draw at a very young age in life.
Jivantoro Mentis (1916-2012)aspired to be an artist since he used crayons and drew while his mother cooked dinner.
His dreams started to unfold when he won two scholarships to study art in Paris after his commander saw his talent. He was asked to paint signs while in the army.
After Mentis's tour of duty in France he studied under his art mentor named Whittaker. Mentis' took his art to Whittaker's studio in Paris for critique while he continued his studies at Ecole' Des Beaux Arts in Paris.
Whittaker nominated Mentis' into the Fraternal Royal Society of the Arts in London, F.R.S.A. (still in existence today).
Mentis' joined the merchant marines and came back to the United States to paint and work. He settled in his home town of New York City after and joined a group of starving artists in Greenwich Village who were living in lofts at the time. Mentis' made his living as a full time artist and joined the Arts Students League and The Sal Magundi Club. He had many one man shows and exhibitions in the Soho area of New York.
While living in New York, Mentis' won another scholarship to attend Pratt Institute. He got many of his commercial art skills while attending school at Pratt.
He studied cartooning,advertising design,commercial art,life drawing and various other art courses.
He later worked as a freelancer for J.C. Penney,BBD & O, and other art agencies. In addition, Mentis' was able to earn a good living doing portraits of passerbys on the weekends. He would set up his easel on the streets of New York City and earn a good living painting and drawing portraits.
Mentis' still had a desire to earn more money as a full time artist. His skills and art expertise landed him a job as a products manager for Eagle Pencil Company. It was there he worked with the chemists, and he revolutionized the techniques for pastels and developed the Prisma Pastel line still in use today.
While working for Eagle Pencil Company, Mentis' relocated and moved to Connecticut. He went to night school and first earned his Bachelors of Science Degree in Art Education and later his Masters Degree.
His degrees enabled him to teach at Waterbury College, The Danbury Correctional Facility (where he facilitated an art program) and later as a high school art and photography teacher in New Haven,CT.
Mentis' moved to Arizona in 1984 and taught art and portrait painting at Yavapai College in Prescott.
He exhibited at various art shows and festivals throughout the state while continuing to paint portraits in hotel lobbys. This helped Mentis to get known as a portrait artist and the word spread.
Sadly, Mentis' passed away at his home in Fountain Hills, AZ on January 11, 2012 at the age of 95.
