So you’re here to find out a little more about me… Let me star with my name is Tom Ryan and welcome to my studio. I grew up in CT. and graduated in 2002 from Paier College of Art. Attending there opened my eyes to the art world, prior to this I just had a passion for drawing. If school opened my eyes to the art world then working in a few art stores taught me more than I’d like to admit. Since graduating I have been involved in group exhibitions, featured in an up and coming Fine Art Magazine and organized a few gallery shows through my own gallery the Bump Art Gallery. I love art, and working with like minded individuals. There is nothing better than that jolt you get from bouncing ideas off of other creative people, and then seeing the final product from those sessions… not even coffee compares.
Publication:
As seen in ABSORB Fine Art Magazine Issue 1:
Who are you?
Creator, problem solver, and my own worst enemy. My name is Tom Ryan – I’m what many would categorize as an artist. I create fun loving characters that evolve from simple line drawings to full colored rendered paintings. Problem solving comes with its frustrations when determining size, placement, color, value, and overall design concept of my work. Seeking my next inspiration and pushing my elements to the next level can be frustrating yet rewarding. I am constantly facing an inner battle by fighting thoughts like: Is this good enough? How much further can I push this idea? When should I stop? It’s an uphill battle, but I think at least the score is tied.
Have you seen your work change over the past few years?
An astounding yes! Back when I was in school, I was doing abstract paintings with loose figurative work. I experimented with a mixture of mediums – I would start with an acrylic and oil background and then add charcoal and pastels on top of that. It was interesting stuff, but man what a mess they were. Regardless of the numerous coats of fixative I would layer on the canvas, the pastel would always come off. I remember a bunch of us were setting up for a show one time and oneof my friends decided to move one of my paintings without knowing about the pastel; he came back and the whole front of his shirt and pants were covered with black and purple and looked at me and asked; “What the hell man haven’t you heard of fixative?!” Of course he had to be wearing like light khaki’s and a white t-shirt, fate wouldn’t have it any other way. It wasn’t till recently that I finally found my “style” which you’re seeing here.
Is there a certain process you go through every time you create a new piece?
Well recently my art has taken a brand new and, of course, exciting direction. I discovered silk-screening and enjoy the effect it gives. However, I currently lack the space and the overall funds to completely dive into this new medium. I do, however, have spray paint and stencils. I once heard that, “stencils are a poor man’s silkscreen,” and have lived by this method since. I can easily paint an entire canvas background in less than twenty minutes, which means I can prepare ten canvases at a time. I enjoy creating various characters along with modifying some of my favorites like Bump, Toot Toot the Monkey, and Snowball the Owl. With this speedy process of painting the canvas backgrounds, I can store various options for backgrounds until inspirations hits. I can later go through my extensive collection of sketchbooks to find a character that I want to bring to life using ink and acrylics. Prior to this I would spend a few hours working on the background, burning off all the creative energy and then I would have to stop and refuel that spark. So with this method it is really liberating, I can work on a few canvass at a time and still have that energy to go back into them and work out the paintings.
How long do you work on each piece till you feel it is finished?
That’s a very tough question. I recently discussed this with a friend, “When do you know you’re done or when have you gone too far?” Art is very personal. There are times when I’m in my studio at 2 A.M. completely alone – it’s just me, the painting, and my mind. Sometimes I need to take a break in order to refresh my inspiration and other times I tell myself, “ok let it dry and sign this bad boy in the morning!” I guess you just have to listen to that little voice in your head that tells you, “You’re done. Or Put the brush down.” As an artist, we don’t have the luxury to call on our peers for suggestions if we are inspired at midnight or come across a problem at 2A.M. Regardless of my progress with any piece, my cardinal rule is to stop all work at 3 A.M. I’ve botched up my fair share of paintings and it’s always been at that time.
Where do you see your work going?
You mean aside from this awesome magazine? I honestly don’t know, but that is actually thrilling. A few years ago, I never would have imagined producing these kinds of paintings. This body of work is completely different than my past, so we’ll just have to see where the brush, mind, canvas takes me. I see myself not only as an artist, but an entrepreneur. I love creating art, but as we all know it’s very hard to find a place to exhibit. So I hope my up and coming gallery, The Bump Art Gallery, will give artists that chance much like this magazine is doing for me now.