FORT BELVOIR, Va. — If you're looking for Jason Spencer, there's one place to check first.
"We are in my studio. This is it. This is the spot," Spencer said. "There are times I'm in here painting 60 or 70 hours a week."
Spencer, 50, serves as the United States Army's Artist in Residence — the only full-time artist in the entire military.
"The first question is, 'Wait. What? The Army has artists?' Then I have to explain that the Army has one artist. I'm a one for one position," Spencer said.
Oil is his preferred medium, though he adapts when needed.
"If I want to do something with a little more than a turnaround, I'll do a water color or graphite," Spencer said.
His subject matter is the military — the United States Army in particular.
"I try to capture the Army's story as best I can through fine art," Spencer said.
Spencer knows Army life all too well. During his 20 years in uniform, the Ohio native has been deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan.
"I take a lot of pride in what I do. That is why I take a lot of time doing it," Spencer said.
The position came as a revelation.
"It was an epiphany moment. I can do this for the Army? Let's do it," Spencer said.
Capturing history in oil
As Artist in Residence, Spencer captures soldiers in action — painting scenes from the mundane to the monumental.
"Somebody has taken the time to freeze that moment in oil," Spencer said.
The role takes Spencer and his sketch pad across the country and around the world. From Lexington and Concord for America 250 to France with veterans and dignitaries for the anniversary of D-Day, the position pulls him to the four corners.
"At Normandy I was standing there saying, 'How did I end up here amongst these people,'" Spencer said.
His current work includes a painting from the Warrior Games.
"Right now, this is from the warrior games from last year," Spencer said. "This particular image of a soldier who was injured — I believe if I'm remembering correctly — in a helicopter accident."
Spencer sometimes juggles five to six paintings at any given time. Since landing the role three years ago, he has produced 160 paintings and counting.
"Really the only challenge is that I'm one for one and capturing everything that deserves to be captured is impossible," Spencer said. "You can only be so many places at so many times."
A century of tradition
Spencer is shouldering more than a century of tradition. The United States Army launched a Combat Artist Program during World War I.
"It is a weird circular loop of history where I'm documenting the history of the history, and my stuff is going to be looked at as history," Spencer said. "I think it is the same type of storytelling, but storytelling in a different way."
Spencer's paintings don't belong to him. Each one becomes the property of the American people.
"Sometimes I get married to these things and I don't want to give them up," Spencer said. "I want to keep it for myself. That is not the job."
"I have to remind myself sometimes that this isn't for me," Spencer said. "It is for others who will see it and later hope to relate to it."
Spencer's paintings will be housed at a state-of-the-art, climate-controlled Center of Military History at Fort Belvoir in Northern Virginia. The sprawling archive is home to 17,000 pieces of original art, some painted by legendary illustrators.
Chief Curator Forgey said the soldier-artist perspective is irreplaceable.
"I think it is imperative that we have soldier artists telling their own story. I can't imagine how intimidating that must be to think that your work would be hanging near a Norman Rockwell," Forgey said.
From World War II, Korea, Vietnam and beyond, Forgey said these timeless works represent all chapters in Army history.
"We're not just documenting the big people who do big deeds we're documenting the little things that make soldiering the profession," Forgey said.
Forgey also admires Spencer's dedication to his craft and fellow soldiers.
"He gets so engrossed in his artwork that he'll be here several nights overnight painting," Forgey said. "But sometimes I need to pull him out of the studio and make sure he goes home for awhile."
A living legacy
"I love the idea to have something that will outlast me," Spencer said.
"It is very intimidating to understand the company my paintings will be keeping," Spencer said. "Then I have one of those moments where I'm like 'You're living the dream here. This is exactly where you want to be.'"
"What a huge honor to be standing there doing the job," Spencer said.
Spencer's artwork will eventually be on display in museums across the Army Museum Enterprise, including the National Museum of the United States Army at Fort Belvoir, which is open to the public.
"I want to portray this time in history accurately," Spencer said. "I like to walk in here and look at it and captured some great moments and I think I did it well. I'm just glad that they think of it to hang on the wall. It is interesting to think that I am the only one. Just me."
"It is an honor just to be picked to be doing this," Spencer said. "There is a little bit of you in each story."
"I'm doing what I want to do," Spencer said. "The goal might be that in 40 years 'You've got an original Spencer. Oh wow. Can I see it?'"
Watch Greg McQuade's stories on CBS 6 and WTVR.com. If you know someone Greg should profile, email him at greg.mcquade@wtvr.com.
📲: CONNECT WITH US
Blue Sky | Facebook | Instagram | X | Threads | TikTok | YouTube
This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy. To learn more about how we use AI in our newsroom, click here.
