Tommy Johnson Art

My Unique and Resourceful Style

Anything is everything to me. I use whatever is around me. For example, I take broken glass from automobile windshields and place them on top of acrylic paintings. These pieces of broken glass would usually find its way into some landfill but I find a way to use them. It gives my paintings a polished, mosaic finish that absolutely shines when light reflects on it. Another example of how I use just about anything is my antique television fish tank idea. I had this vision dancing in my head for 8 years of using an old, rustic television as a fish tank. One day while driving in L.A., I saw an old television on the side of road. It was lying on its side, abandoned by its owner. I took it then wondered, "How do I put a fish tank in this?" With enough materials, tools and ingenuity, I followed through on my vision and I have my fish tank in an antique television. It’s a great conversation piece and people have made countless offers for it, but I’m not letting it out of my personal collection. I don’t like to limit myself and the same can be said about my art. I will use anything that is around me to help me complete my vision.

The Creative Process

An idea is just an idea until you complete it. Many artists have different methods in the process of creating a piece. My method is to be totally aware of everything around me. You never know when or where inspiration will appear. That is why I always carry a journal with me everywhere I go. I use it to jot down ideas, take notes and make sketches. This is the way I’ve been doing things since I was a kid. If you took one of my journals from back in the day,

you’ll find that it will be full of sketches and notes. This step of the process is the major foundation of my artwork. From there it’s a matter of finding the right materials, working hard at it and finally finishing it. I have way too many ideas floating in my head but they’re absolutely nothing until I do something about it.

Influences

In the pursuit of creativity, being original is an absolute constant. It’s the one attribute that I respect in my fellow artists. Originality sets you apart from anyone else, no matter what field you work in. An artist I admire is Guy Harvey, he is well known for his paintings of sport fishing and aquatic life. The guy is an absolute franchise, owning his own themed restaurant and hosting his own television show. His use of bright, vibrant pastels is something I want to emulate in my work. As he is the iconic artist for fishing, I want to be that for lacrosse. Another artist I follow is urban surrealist, Justin Bua. His unique, graffiti inspired work, dubbed "distorted urban realism" is spawning a brand new genre of art. Isn’t that what we do as artists? We create art to give new perspectives and start new movements. I give all due respect to the masters and the classics, but I think our culture is so sophisticated that now is the best time for art to move forward and find new genres and new styles. Then the product is a broader audience, more in tuned with art and with culture. Originality is the key in broadening our horizons; it is what drives me every single day.

Compliments

If someone asked me what is the best way to appreciate my art. I would answer, "The best compliment of all is someone taking the time and putting it on their

wall." I’ve received compliments from critics, applauding my work as "innovative" and "original". I’ve even been compared to Leroy Neiman, Peter Max and Jackson Pollack. It’s all very flattering but I love it when I hear someone say, "I’ve never heard or seen anything like that." To be compared to great artists or have your work complimented on some lifestyle magazine is a great honor. But I love when my work opens peoples’ eyes. I’ve actually had a few of my pieces stolen: From exhibits at a college, at a gallery and even from a Ferrari dealership. To have someone actually steal your work can be considered somewhat of a compliment. When I was at Loyola, a painting of mine was stolen from the college art gallery while we played away in a tournament. I had no idea what happened to it until eight years later. That’s when a friend of mine was at a party and saw a fish painting hanging in the living room. He also noticed it had my signature on the bottom. It was shocking to hear such news, but at least my painting found a home. In my career, I’ve had my work criticized, praised and even stolen but nothing compares to having your work finding a place in someone’s living room or office.