Interview with artist: Tom Brown

Have you ever had the experience of finding someones work (artwork, craftmanship, music) that really inspires and speaks to you? Have this work ever reminded you of your own work, which then speaks to you on another level? Today, I am interviewing an artist by the name of Tom Brown. His drawings, paintings, diagrams, doodles and collages have been effecting me as an artist a lot lately. Luckily for us, I now get to sit down and ask him some things about his incredible work.

painting by tom brown

Before I start, I want to mention that Tom Brown is a purely online aquaintence. My experience with his work is completely based on facebook galleries, and website links from his profile. Tom Brown, like myself, does a lot of internet marketing for his work. After spending another day, about the eighth time I've browsed his entire collection of drawings, I really wanted to know more, so I shot him a message asking if he would like to do an interview and here we are:

WH: The collection of art on your facebook page ranges from sketches, doodles, paintings and diagrams. So many of your works have this childlike freedom and energy, and at times even violents marks. Some of the works seem loaded with meaning, and others seem very tongue and cheek. When you sit down to create these drawings is there often intent behind the work, or are you just spilling out ideas as they come to you?

drawing by tom brown

TB: There is quite a range. I am still figuring out what works best for me and opportunities to make art strike at random times, so whatever materials are around will get used in the creative process. I can see the child-like aspect to my work sometimes. My sense of humor is connected to my childish view of the world and my continuing efforts to grow-up. I don't want to describe myself as a freakish man-boy though. Hah! I am just always in the process of changing and developing. I guess we all are changing all of the time.

Part of the creative process involves connecting to relevant parts of the self in order to figure out what needs communicating. This applies internally to the individual artist and externally to the art world as a whole. That is my belief. If I make something I find to be interesting and relevant to me, then I share it just in case someone else might find it interesting and relevant. But then again, so much of what I create is in the spirit of play and experimentation. It can be hard to settle on one style when there are so many different ways to create and express.

Tongue in cheek? Yes. There is also this element. I'm not sure why that's there, but it may have something to do with deciding how seriously to take life.

drawing by tom brown

There's an ongoing dialogue in my mind most days. I imagine the case is similar for most people. Everyone has thoughts. I don't claim there's anything special about having thoughts and ideas. It does start to become special when someone decides to share their ideas through images or written communications,..or whatever expressive medium they use. I just want to share. I have ideas. Maybe my ideas will give other people ideas and we can all solve the world's problems one day. Who knows though?? I have no idea if my "art" has any beneficial effect on the workings of the planet. All I know is that sometimes people give it a compliment or they hit the "LIKE" button Facebook.

WH: Your works make me think, make me laugh and make inspire me. You rarely overwork a drawing, and I find your crude mark making very appealing and honest. What is the most important part of your process as an artist? From conception to the actual mark
making, what part is the most important or valuable to you as an artist?

scribble art by tom brown

TB: I was not really trained at an art school or anything. I wish that was the case some days, but I work with what skills I have managed to pick up along the way. That means just being honest with my mark making, but not settling for just anything. Aiming for too much perfection can lead to a great deal of frustration. That is what I have found. It also leads to creative anxiety. I kind of approach the creative process knowing that there will be mistakes and unexpected things. It is important to gain insight from these mistakes and the unexpected things because you made them.

Creation of the image is one thing. The next step is to share and collect feedback. You get to interact with the people responding to your work. I mainly share online and even more specifically on Facebook, but I do check out a couple of other sites now and then.

WH: Lastly, where does one purchase or find Tom Brown artworks, either for sale, or just to browse?

TB: I do not focus on selling at this time. Maybe in the future. If someone wants to browse my art, the most recent stuff is on Facebook. I have a blog which I haven't been posting to regularly since Facebook is where the traffic is at these days. There's also the official website of Brown Mega Corporation , but that's still in the eraly phases.

WH: Thanks for your time Tom. I look forward to be inpired by all the new things you will be posting online in the future.

TB: heh...no pressure. lol. Thank you for this opportunity William.

drawing by tom brown