Artist Spotlight

Tim landed at the market in June 2012 and I remember him telling me he’d left his job in TV to work his photography biz full-time. From day one he raised the bar for both photographers and other artists. Tim’s professionalism and easy going manner stand out in the crowd. Enjoy his story!

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Tell us about yourself outside of the art world.

I grew up in Oklahoma and have been living in the Houston area for 18 years. I’ve also been married for 18 years and we have three kids, 4, 6, and 8. I love Jesus, metal detecting, pc gaming, and most recently have gotten into 3D design and 3D-printing parts for various projects I’ve got going on, one of which is a motion cockpit seat for use in a virtual reality flight simulator, which I built from the ground up. I’ve also been an amateur visual astronomer for a few years and am currently working on completing the Messier and Herschel deep-sky-object certifications.

How did your art journey begin?

I’ve enjoyed drawing since Junior High and took nature and landscape painting lessons in high school. I chose a Minolta SLR as my high school graduation gift and did some shooting with it. Not much artistic though, mostly of friends, vacations, and such. After graduating from the University of Oklahoma with a Geography degree, I decided to do something completely different and went back to school at Rose State, a small community college near Oklahoma City, and graduated 18 months later with an Associates in Television Broadcast. My curriculum was focused on shooting and editing video for news stories, although it encompassed many aspects of the television broadcast industry.

Unlike my time at OU, I felt like I’d finally found something that felt natural to me. I worked at a few different places for a year and a half, but finally landed a great job at KPRC, the NBC affiliate in Houston, as a production operator. This mostly involved running robotic cameras in the studio (a first for me), switching graphics, and floor directing. After three years, I got the itch to learn more about IT and I picked up a massive book and started studying for the CompTIA A+ certification just to see where that would lead me. I happened to ask my boss if our IT director needed an assistant, and within a week, I was the new IT assistant and had moved from production to engineering.

I loved my new position and learned so much over the next three years. Most of my work was waiting for something to break (printers were the most common in case you were wondering) so I had plenty of down time. I spent this time scratching yet a new itch, photography. Yes, I’d dabbled a bit before, but I really wanted to learn how to make a great photograph consistently. I read books, and used my downtime to read photography forums, searching for the common denominators between great photographs. I found a used Canon DSLR system on Craigslist and spent the next few years learning photography as a serious hobby.

A few years later, I sold my first few photographs at the Sugar Land Farmer’s Market in July 2012. A year later, I made the difficult decision to leave KPRC and set out on my own as a professional fine art landscape photographer.

Where are you now with your art?

I’m currently focused on photographing the “Great American West” with my Fujifilm medium format camera system. My most recent expedition was through Olympic and Mt Rainier National Parks in Washington. I’m releasing these photographs each month in my email newsletter.

Do you have big plans/goals for the future? 

Right now, I just seem to be taking it one day at a time. The kids are a handful and that’s where most of my energy is spent it seems. It’s a real treat when I manage to get away to photograph for a week. Once the kids are older and better at taking care of themselves, I hope to be able to take photography trips more often.

Starting this fall, all three kids will be in school so I’m considering doing some local landscape/cityscape work during the daytime. This would most likely be a monochrome collection of images.

Tell us what’s next and where to find you.

I’ll be at First Saturday Arts Market on March 2nd, Bayou City Arts Fest on March 23rd-24th, Sugar Land Arts Fest on April 27th-28th, and Cottonwood Arts Fest (Richardson, TX) on May 4th-5th.

What guidance would you offer to a budding or novice artist?

Read, listen, learn. Try new things. Don’t get stuck in the rut of doing the same things. Maybe you’re doing something the best way possible, but you’ll still learn something new by doing it differently.

Tell us that one crazy story about yourself!

I’ve scuba’d with sharks on several occasions, but the most memorable time was in the Bahamas, off Nassau. This was specifically a “shark dive” and when I stepped off the boat and dropped into the water, I have to admit I felt very vulnerable when I looked around through the clearing bubbles to see I was surrounded by circling gray sharks with black, soul-less eyes. That was quite an experience and I’d definitely do it again.

Above: “Playing my Native American Flute for the horses. I purchased this flute from an artist near my booth at a San Antonio art festival. I loved the sound so much, I had to have one. I brought it along with me on this trip through Arizona and Utah, and actually played it while watching the sun set over the Grand Canyon!”

Sharks! “Diving with sharks in the Bahamas, off the coast of Nassau. There were dozens more like this one all around us.”

Lilibeth is a fantastic artist using oils as her medium. She’s been a great advocate for artists, planning and hosting events, workshops and open studios. She’s also an alternative & holistic health service practitioner helping people balance & rejuvenate their health. There’s a great story below about this photo!

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Tell us about yourself outside of the art world.

I was born in Mexico but have been here most of my life. I’ve always been creative exploring mediums and genres from painting to fashion and architectural design. My artwork focuses primarily on portraiture and landscapes. I am open to various art ventures because it gives me the opportunity to grow in abilities and depth.

I set painting aside while my boys were little to keep toxics away but got back in as they got older and wiser with colored pencils and acrylics. That’s why I started using water soluble oils because I liked the medium but not the solvents. And the paintings started selling. I had just finished my second degree and working full-time when I realized that, being a mother to boot, I could find the time to go to school, then I could find the time to paint.

How did your art journey begin?

My grandparents and parents were all artistic, from architecture, to drawing, painting, fashion, music, writing and crafts, I was exposed to these influences with the understanding that as a creative, anything was possible. Crayons and pencils were my first tools.

Professionally, my art business experience began with the First Saturday Arts Market. I learned the setup of a booth, from packing to setting up; working with art patrons; and preparing for the next market. This preparation gave me the experience to consider traveling to other markets, an artist co-op, and my own studio.

What are you doing with your art right now?

I am happy with my art path. I’ve fulfilled my technical objectives thus far and express myself freely with my characteristic style.

Do you have big plans/goals for the future? 

I would like to see an original Andre in 1 of 50,000 homes in the U.S. and many reproductions in between.

Where else do you show your art?

The easel awaits always. It’s my best friend. In the meantime, my work can be found on my website and I share news and happenings on Facebook and Instagram.

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What guidance would you offer to a budding or novice artist?

Master your tools, build an inventory, and get your feet wet at the First Saturday Arts Market to understand the business skills. After that, the sky’s the limit.

Bonus Question! Anything wild and crazy that would raise eyebrows?

I ran away with the circus! 

We are standing in front of the big circus tent. When we moved to Texas from California we were looking for a place to raise our blended family. Once we arrived se stoped to rest at a hotel. We had two vehicles with a trailer each. I was driving the main vehicle with the top trailer. It was stolen overnight. It included my then husband’s work tools. With no means to work, no clothes, no treasured possessions, the options were few and far between. Then a call came in to the hotel room. A job for each of us, a place to live, an opportunity to travel with the kids. It sounded too good to be true. When my husband hung up and explained the offer I said, “Why not?” So we ran away with the circus!