Toby Ross - Surrealism and Success as an Artist
“Stay absolutely true to yourself"
Toby Ross
Based out of Reading, UK, Toby Ross is a surreal artist (and a bloody good one at that)
What is Surrealism? Sparks Gallery suggests this definition “It is a style that tries to challenge reality by depicting a warped, irrational universe filled with surprising, bizarre features.”
“Stay absolutely true to yourself, because people will resonate with it.”
Interview
(Uncut and Unedited)
1. Was there a defining moment that made you pursue art?
I grew up a musician. Up until my second year of university I was still set on working in the music industry. The only times I had delved into visual art was when I was designing covers for my songs I wanted to release. This route led me down learning how to use Photoshop and other similar applications, which sparked an interest in graphic design. The more I learnt in graphic design, the more the posters and ideas I was creating transformed into something more artsy with characters and locations. I started to incorporate paint into some mixed media creations using Photoshop and gradually I discovered my love for painting. Studying music at university was somewhat testing my passion for creating music so creating art became a way for me to be creative outside of assignments and coursework. From there on my passion grew.
2. Do you have a routine to get you in the ‘creative mood’ or does it come more naturally to you?
No routine whatsoever. It’s the most sporadic thing. I can have days where I have four ideas and create two paintings and some days where it feels like the art block will never end. In response to this I just allow myself to be very productive when it comes to me. I do however at the moment try to create at least one painting a week.
3. What is the most significant challenge you face as an artist?
The most significant challenge is having to look at other avenues to keep me afloat monetarily. I make a nice part time income from art at the moment but I am striving to make it full time. Having to balance this takes away from my time to create and grow as an artist.
4. How do you push through ‘creative blocks’?
Refer to my second answer. I usually wait it out, go for a run, do something else for a while and when I come back to creating usually I feel fresher and more creative.
5. What have you discovered about yourself through your creative endeavours?
Creating art has allowed me to confront my own emotions and feelings and be more open as a person emotionally. Being vulnerable by releasing art based on my feelings gave me a more indirect way of telling people how I feel at that point in time and it has gradually made its way into how I approach things in my day to day life also. It has also made me realise how important it is to stay authentic to yourself and create things that truly represent myself rather than trying to emulate or copy other inspirations.
6. How do you balance creating art for yourself vs creating for your audience?
I think everyone starts with being inspired by others. The more I create the more I can hone in on a specific style that I feel like I can call mine. I have a gut feeling about whether I like a painting or not and if I lost that when creating I would know I have deviated too far from a style I believe in.
7. How has social media impacted your career?
Social media IS my career. It has brought me my entire audience, made all my sales, and connected me with hundreds of other inspiring artists. I have only ever done one event in person regarding my art, the rest has all been online.
8. What does success as an artist mean to you?
Honestly, success to me would mean being able to create full-time without having to rely on a side-job.
9. How do you hope your art will be received in years to come?
I think being recognised for my own style is the absolute pinnacle of being an artist. I would hope that people could recognise a piece of mine just by looking at the contents of the painting.
10. What is one piece of advice you would give to aspiring creatives?
Learn how to use social media to your advantage. Stay absolutely true to yourself, because people will resonate with it. Create lots and lots and lots and a unique style will eventually emerge.
Take Away
What I seem to ask most, if not every, artist is about Social Media and if it has positively, or be it negatively impacted their career. Answers vary, short attention spans and the copy and paste of content seem to frequent the arguments against Social Media. I must confess, however, that the more I think about this and certainly following on from this interview, I can’t help but think that Social Media is mostly beneficial for Art.
We have access to billions of people across the planet where we can connect over mutual interests. Think of the good that has come of this, instantly we can think of ample examples. Of course, the opposite is also true, terrible things have, do and continue to take place on all platforms, and that is a terrible shame. With that said, people connecting over their niche interests and creating communities of like-minded folks, cannot be underestimated.
Art is more accessible than ever. The ability to learn, discover and create Art is more advanced than ever. The present possibilities are endless, like Toby says “Learn how to use social media to your advantage.”
Best
Alex