September 11, 2024 • 26 mins
What if the pandemic was the catalyst for uncovering hidden talents? Join me as I sit down with Tom Delamater, an extraordinary abstract artist who discovered his passion for painting during these tumultuous times.
Tom shares how his father's legacy as a skilled draftsman and illustrator shaped his artistic vision, and how his experience in publication design and advertising sharpened his eye for color, balance, and composition. Get ready to be inspired by Tom’s journey from creating a simple housewarming gift to becoming the featured artist at my new studio this September.
Imagine finding solace in art during a prolonged business trip. That's exactly what happened to Tom in the spring of 2021. Trapped in a hotel room, he channeled his energy into painting, inspired by Jackson Pollock’s abstract expressionism. With no formal training and only basic supplies from Walmart, he created 50 paintings in just a few months. This personal story highlights the power of embracing new challenges without fear of failure and encourages others to begin their own artistic journeys, no matter their starting point.
In this heartfelt episode, we explore the serendipitous nature of artistic discovery and the enduring influence of family legacies. From the accidental innovation of a drip technique to Tom’s father’s unwavering dedication to his craft, we discuss how unforeseen events and familial inspiration can shape an artist’s path. Tom’s touching narrative about his father's resilience in the face of rejection serves as a powerful reminder to honor our roots and pursue our passions with unrelenting determination. Whether you're an aspiring artist or seeking inspiration, this episode offers valuable insights and heartfelt stories that will resonate deeply.
Check out the YouTube edition for images of Tom's father's amazing work and more!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
This is a special episode to me because it is one
of my first of many that I haveplanned highlighting the
exhibiting artist at my newstudio and we recorded this in
person at the studio.
So you're going to hear ussharing a mic, because I usually
do this remotely with my guests, and you're going to hear
(00:28):
people coming into the shop,because we were doing this live
at the shop.
I hope you still enjoy it and Iam thrilled to bring you Tom
Delamater.
He is a wonderful abstractartist here in the Stark County
community and you get to hearall about his process and
everything we have coming up.
Speaker 2 (00:47):
So enjoy Welcome back to Brutally Made.
I am ecstatic about having TomDelamater here for a special
broadcast and a special episode,because he is my exhibiting
artist for September.
Welcome, tom.
Speaker 3 (01:06):
Thanks, tracy, it's great to be with you.
Speaker 2 (01:08):
I'm really excited for the show which is coming up
for the entire month.
We have a ribbon cutting thisweek on Thursday night and right
after that is Tom's receptionfor his beautiful artwork, and I
can't wait for him to share hisentire story.
You're going to start from whenyou were a child Now.
Really I mean his influencefrom his father and what he
(01:30):
shared with me so far is justwonderful, and your process and
everything that you do with yourart.
I would love for you to go backas far as you would like, but
really I just think that it'sfascinating, so please share.
Speaker 3 (01:43):
Well, I appreciate the chance to do that and talk
about my dad, because he was avery talented illustrator and
cartoonist.
Dad was a draftsman by trade.
He worked at Diebold here inCanton for 30 years and on the
side he was always doodling andhe took, he went to school, took
some drawing classes, but hehad also done that since his
(02:06):
high school days and so dad justwas a very, he just had a great
eye and he developed over timeto draw appealing characters and
(02:29):
funny characters.
But he also had the ability tosee things in three dimensions,
especially because he was adraftsman Right.
So much of what he did for hiscareer was he designed bank
vaults and bank systems forDiebold was he designed bank
vaults and bank systems forDiebold Right, and so draftsmen
are kind of like architects,they understand how to do that
(02:50):
and Dad saw everythingthree-dimensionally, so he had
this ability to draw like aerialviews of things and sketch out
buildings and neighborhoods orwhat have you.
So that was an influence justfrom the standpoint that he was
always doing it.
And then dad also, I thinkmaybe underappreciated by us
kids growing up, he had a lot ofbooks on art and he had a lot
(03:15):
of books that contain, you know,reprints of famous paintings.
Speaker 2 (03:19):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (03:20):
So we had that around the house all the time and
growing up.
Those were fun to look at, butnothing really clicked.
Speaker 2 (03:29):
Right.
Speaker 3 (03:29):
During that period of time, and so he showed me a few
things drawing and sketchingand I started to do that when I
was in high school.
But then that just faded and Igot into other things and got
into my career and didn't pursueany of it until much later in
life.
Speaker 2 (03:46):
I know that's what you shared and I'm going to see
if I can sneak some of thedrawings a couple of his fathers
, because he has shared thosewith me, tom.
They're amazing and I love hiswriting with them.
And you were sharing how theperspective, like you said, in
his mind, is translated on paperwith a story and it's just.
Speaker 3 (04:13):
It's so creative and your career, like you said,
really isn't based in art,wasn't starting out in art, but
you're a very creative person.
Well thanks, I was alwaysaround mostly art direction
publication, design, advertisingand because of that then I also
worked around a lot ofphotographers and some really
world-class photographers, andthen you learn things about
lighting and you learn aboutcolor.
(04:33):
You learn about composition.
So I never claimed to be an artdirector in the purest sense.
I worked with a lot of artdirectors.
I designed a lot ofpublications, newsletters and
things of that nature over theyears, flyers and things that I
did myself.
I mean I had that ability to do.
But an art director to me issomebody who has taken that to a
(04:53):
whole nother level.
But I worked with a lot of ourgreat art directors over the
years in publishing and inadvertising and so again, those
things start to rub off on youand and you learn from those
people photographers, artdirectors and so on and so it
was during that period of time,I think, that I gained a real
appreciation for color andbalance and composition and
(05:13):
things, and that obviously hasserved me well.
Speaker 2 (05:17):
It has.
Yeah, Because those are some ofyour strongest suits.
When you look at your piecesand the abstract and
impressionism that you tend todescribe your pieces having, you
can see that.
But the influence of thatexperience also comes through,
Just like you're pocketing allof that knowledge as you're
(05:39):
talking to an art director,you're talking to a photographer
, your layout, all of that I cansee that bits and pieces are in
your work and I just think it'sfascinating Also the fact that
you did not even start paintinguntil the pandemic.
Speaker 3 (05:53):
Right, that's when it started.
Speaker 2 (05:55):
That is incredible.
Speaker 3 (05:57):
Yeah, it's kind of wild.
I told you the story and, to beas brief as I can, I told you
the story and to be as brief asI can.
Speaker 2 (06:05):
You know we can talk a long time.
Speaker 3 (06:13):
Well, you know, my daughter was moving and I
thought I didn't really needanything, but I thought, well,
it'd be cool to do somethingsort of as a housewarming.
So anyway, I decided, well, I'dalways thought about air quotes
painting and had never done itRight All these years, and so I
thought, why not?
So I literally went down to thelocal discount store got some
inexpensive canvases.
(06:34):
Um, but, of course, first Iwent online and I Googled some
painting instruction and I foundsome videos and I found one
that I thought, well, I could dothat, and it was a blotting
paint, blotting technique, whichis very simple and very basic,
and I thought, well, I can dothat.
So I got the materials and Idid a painting and I ended up,
(06:57):
just for fun, putting it on myFacebook account, and a lot of
people that I knew said heythat's really good.
And then people started askingme could you do me, do one for
me?
And so I did a few as gifts,and that's really how it all
started.
But even then I wasn'tnecessarily thinking, oh, I'm
going to do this.
Speaker 2 (07:12):
I'm going to be an artist.
Speaker 3 (07:16):
But what happened was the following spring.
This would have been in 2021.
I was out of town on a kind ofa fact-finding business trip is
what I'll call that and I wascooped up in a hotel for several
months three, four months andso that got old real fast.
Plus, the pandemic was stillhaving an effect.
(07:39):
People weren't out.
A lot People still were not.
You know people were wearingmasks.
This is still a year later.
So I was in the room a lot andthat can you get to be stir
crazy.
So there was a Walmart about ahalf mile down the road.
I went down there and I pickedup some canvas panels and some
Walmart acrylics and someplastic palette knives and some
(08:00):
inexpensive brushes and I justtook it all back to the room.
I covered the table that was inthe room with the blanket and I
just started painting.
Speaker 2 (08:07):
Oh, my God.
Speaker 3 (08:08):
And I just went wherever it took me.
I didn't claim to have anyexpertise, but I would go online
and I would bring up images ofartwork and you know, obviously
it took me in the direction ofabstract art, but I love it
anyway and that's another storybecause of the Jackson Pollock
influence.
But I just started doing it andover the course of that spring,
(08:33):
just about four months notquite four months I did about 50
paintings.
Speaker 2 (08:36):
That's incredible.
Speaker 3 (08:38):
Yeah, because I had the time.
Speaker 2 (08:39):
Right and.
Speaker 3 (08:40):
I'm not going to claim they were all worth
looking at, but you know I didthem.
Speaker 2 (08:44):
Right.
Speaker 3 (08:44):
They're still around somewhere.
How amazing to me.
Speaker 2 (08:48):
I just love that story and I love how you're
still evolving in your style andyou're not afraid to try
something different, becausesome of these you told me you
know you've had a lot of peoplecomment how much they love them
and it feels like, oh, I'mgetting a lot of great feedback
and that leads me to feel likethis would be successful.
(09:09):
But then you turn and you try adifferent style.
Speaker 3 (09:12):
Yeah, it's, it's.
It really has evolved over time.
You know I I didn't mentionJackson Pollock to drop a name
by any means.
Speaker 2 (09:19):
You know, you just can't know, but visually I think
that helps people, that helpspeople listening to kind of get
an idea you don't want topresume to do something like
that, but it really goes back towhen I wasn't painting.
Speaker 3 (09:29):
I wasn't an artist of any kind.
When I first saw the film thatEd Harris did about Jackson
Pollock, I was really fascinated.
Again, don't want to go too deepinto all this kind of stuff,
but I really identified with thecharacter kind of stuff but I
really identified with thecharacter and I think now,
looking back, the reason is thatas a child I spent a lot of
(09:50):
time alone and even when I wasin school in middle school, high
school I almost felt at timeslike somebody, an observer in a
movie, watching what was goingon around me as opposed to being
immersed in the experience.
So if you want to call that aloner, you know you can call it
(10:10):
that.
People are surprised when I saythat, because I've always been
in public relations and I'mcomfortable speaking in front of
groups, I'm comfortable insocial situations.
I don't have a problem withthat, but it was the
circumstances of life.
I was alone a lot and so when Isaw the film it was just the,
(10:33):
the character and the way it wasportrayed.
There were things I couldreally identify with.
It was interesting to me theeffect it had on me.
I'm not an addictivepersonality, it's not an
alcoholism, drug addiction thingor anything like he had trouble
with.
But it was just the dialogueand it was the sense of how he
progressed as a person and as anartist that was really
(10:56):
fascinating to me.
You know, pollock was not a kindof a person anybody really
should emulate but at the sametime when you see a story like
that and you can feel empathyfor the character then there's a
connection there, and I didn'tmake the full connection until I
started painting, and that'swhen I kind of went back to all
(11:18):
of that and I began to readabout him and other abstract
expressionists and I foundmyself really immersed in that
time period and fascinated by ityeah.
And I still am.
So it definitely had an effecton me, and then now it's begun
to kind of show through in someof my work too.
And I don't run from it.
Speaker 2 (11:36):
I mean it just does no, and I love that you're
embracing it and that accidentalaspect of the whole thing, like
you didn't know that you coulddo this, or I'm going to try
this and it may fail, but I'mgoing to try it anyway.
And you created over 50paintings just by, you know,
trying.
And we talked about this acouple of times, especially
recently that you've beenhanging your show that people
(11:58):
are just so scared to just eventry and they see your work and
it's like, oh, I would love todo that and that's always.
Speaker 3 (12:05):
But yeah, I like to tell people just just go ahead
and do it.
That's exactly how I startedand I didn't have any expertise.
I didn't have any.
I didn't make any claims.
I didn't presume to think I wasgoing to necessarily keep doing
it.
But here I am and you know, theonly thing I can say to people
is if you really feel like doingit, then just do it.
(12:26):
Just do it, Just try it.
You don't have to start withany expertise.
Don't let your fear or yourlack of knowledge or familiarity
with any process hold you backfrom trying.
You can always find people whocan help you fineune your work,
your technique, your skill level.
(12:47):
You can learn from people, youcan take courses, you can do all
kinds of things, but you can'tdo any of it if you don't start.
Speaker 2 (12:53):
Yeah, and it's okay to find someone like a Jackson
Pollock who you resonate eithervisually, emotionally with and
try to replicate some of those.
You know moves and drops, andthat's totally fine.
Start there, because that willgive you confidence to build on
that.
Some people are so worried that, oh, it's going to look just
(13:15):
like that.
It's not.
Your hand will come through,your style will present itself.
You don't have to know therules, and I'm doing air quotes
now of art.
Those are all made to be broken.
It's great to learn them.
It's wonderful to have thatfoundation.
I think it's fascinating forart history and knowing
foundational things about colorand light.
(13:36):
It helps me want to learn more.
I love learning, and so I thinkthat that should be a driving
force, but it should not be thereason that you start because
you don't know those things.
Speaker 3 (13:50):
Absolutely.
And yeah, it's just you and Iwere talking about this the
other day and talking about thefear factor, which became a term
, but, yeah, you don't want tolet that scare you.
And and the other part of ittoo is for me.
I was, you know, my career.
I was fortunate in that mycareer in public relations and
(14:12):
advertising and marketing put mein contact with so many.
Definitely, you know people thathad had skill, particular
artistic photographic skill.
What have you Excuse me?
And then you put on top of thatthe fact that I worked in
education for a number of years.
I worked in doing marketing inK-12 and then I also worked in
(14:32):
higher ed and my most recentfull-time position was with a
community college district inTexas and we had a gallery at
one of the campuses.
We had art faculty there justsome superb artists, art
historians, photographers,sculptors.
Speaker 2 (14:50):
Oh, wow.
Speaker 3 (14:51):
And so I was around them a lot, because our
department again I was doingpublic relations, so we helped
promote the drama, the music,the art department, the gallery,
and so I was around them a lotand I was fascinated by their
skill, their talent, theirknowledge, just high respect and
(15:12):
regard for all of them.
And so over time, then too Iwould attend the different
exhibitions at the gallery, andthe gallery director would have
artists from the Dallas area andbeyond come in and do shows.
So then you're exposed to awhole, a whole nother group of
brilliant artists, and it wasjust a cool thing to be immersed
(15:34):
in and to be around, so thatagain, I wasn't even doing art,
I wasn't painting.
I didn't think I had anyaspiration to that, I just
enjoyed it.
Right and but it rubbed off.
And so now, you know I I reflectback on those times quite a bit
, when I'm when I'm doing mywork, or when I'm hanging
(15:57):
paintings or, you know, curatingor installing a show.
Yeah, those, those things ruboff on you.
Speaker 2 (16:02):
Yeah, you think back.
Speaker 3 (16:03):
That's a huge thing, but if I hadn't started at some
point and this has all happenedafter all of it.
I know All those experiencesadded up and then one day I
flipped a switch and here I am.
Speaker 2 (16:15):
I know it's not like you were painting in the middle
of this and you're askingquestions that you could apply
right then.
I mean, it's just all of thisknowledge built up.
Speaker 3 (16:24):
I had no idea, no notion I was ever going to do it
.
Go figure.
Speaker 2 (16:29):
Yeah, it's incredible .
Your work is incredible and I'malso really excited that you
have agreed to teach class.
So we decided on the date.
So it's going to be September30th in an evening and you're
going to instruct and lead, butreally give people the autonomy
to do their own work withabstract art, and they're going
(16:52):
to get to create two camps.
Speaker 3 (16:53):
Yeah, the idea here is just start.
There you go, and that's thething, just start.
And so anybody who's listeningand would like to try, just come
and start.
Don't overthink it, don't thinkyou don't have the ability,
don't think you don't, you,you're not qualified.
Um, that's unfortunate.
You know, when I look at yourwork, when I look at my work,
(17:14):
when I look at anyone's work,now I, I look at it so
differently and, um, I, I reallydon't look, I'm not a critic of
artists, um, because why?
You know, that's just not myrole.
I'm not a critic, I'm, I'm anencourager, I'm an admirer, I'm
(17:35):
a fan and, uh, I just think it'sgreat when people put
themselves out there and give ita go, and that that's that has
value to me, that that's worthsomething, and so, yeah, these
classes, um, this I appreciateyou, you, you appreciate you
inviting me to do it.
I plan to show one of thetechniques that I kind of picked
(17:58):
up early on that I found, Ithink, let's say, easy enough
air quotes again to do and yetstill produce a piece of art
that is, you know, that you canbe, you can be happy with.
Speaker 2 (18:15):
You can be proud of Right.
Speaker 3 (18:16):
Right there on the spot.
Speaker 2 (18:18):
And.
Speaker 3 (18:18):
I think we can be successful at this class in
showing people what's possible.
It's not super ambitious, butit's ambitious enough to where I
hope people can come away andsay you know, I did that and I'd
like to do more of those.
Right, that'd be a really,really cool.
You know experience to knowthat some people came and did
(18:38):
this and then continued on fromthere.
Speaker 2 (18:40):
Yeah, I agree, I think that would be the best
feedback because, that influenceand you're setting that in
their mind.
Speaker 3 (18:45):
Sure.
Speaker 2 (18:45):
So I just am thrilled for one that you agreed to
exhibit.
I just love that it's here andI love that we're going to have
this episode out, and all ofTom's information from his
website and social mediaplatforms will be in the show
notes so you can contact him ifyou would like to have his work
(19:07):
showcased in your gallery.
That is what this space is for.
Has work showcased in yourgallery that?
is what this space is for is ajumping off point for other
people in our community to getto see work of other artists.
Tom is a resident artist atPatina Art Center downtown
Canton Beautiful facility thatpromotes so much in our arts
district and we love havingRight in the center of it and a
(19:29):
lot of artists and photographers.
Always beautiful shows and Ijust love everything that
they're doing there.
So I appreciate that you've gotsome pieces here and it's just
to expand everyone's knowledge.
Speaker 3 (19:41):
Yeah, very much so, and you know we were talking
about this last night or thenight before.
We've been working together thelast couple of days, but night
before we've been workingtogether the last couple of days
.
But, um, you know, one of thethings that I re, I remember
from 20, whatever years ago itwas when.
Ed Harris did the Pollock movie, so when I watched it again,
you know after.
I, I started painting and it'sthat whole idea of serendipity
(20:05):
we were talking about where andI thought that that Ed Harris
portrayed it really well and thestory's been told many times
about Pollock, where heeffectively just mistakenly
dripped paint on the edge andcorners of a canvas, was
fascinated by it and thenstarted doing it more.
And of course, pollock workedon the floor and he had large
(20:26):
canvases and he walked aroundthem and he walked in them and
he, you know the whole thing,but he, you know, started.
That's where he started doingthe dripping, that's where he
started doing this actiontechnique.
And I you know when I saw themovie again after I had got
involved in painting.
Of course I saw it in a wholedifferent way, but I remember
how that resonated with me 20plus years ago when that scene
(20:49):
occurred, and it makes you thinkwhat, if you know?
What, if that event had nothappened?
What would Jackson Pollock'swork have continued to look like
if that had never happened?
But it took him a whole notherdirection.
It was a direction thatrevolutionized, for better or
worse.
There's a lot of people thatdon't like Pollock's work.
(21:09):
There's a lot of people who do,but it revolutionized art
during that period it was one ofthe things that revolutionized
art.
It might've never happened.
So, you know, we all, I think,encounter things like that,
whether it's in just our dailylives or in our artistic
pursuits, and it's really coolto think about time and chance
(21:33):
in addition to intent, and a lotof the work that I've done has
been time and chance and then alot of it's intent.
I'm sure you've experienced thesame thing.
Speaker 2 (21:41):
Oh God, absolutely A hundred percent.
Now when I'm at in this space,absolutely.
Speaker 3 (21:47):
So you know again, just start.
You got to start, and then youmight be surprised at what
happens, but I'm grateful for it.
I'm really grateful for the wayart has has led to a lot of
fulfillment, has changed my life, I'm sure, in many ways, you
know, and so it was late in life.
(22:08):
I mean that rather than sitthere and think, well man,
wouldn't it have been cool to goto art school when I was 20
years old and been painting allthose years?
This is what I was meant to doat this particular time.
So, I just try to embrace it andgo with it.
Speaker 2 (22:22):
I feel the same way.
I can't even tell you how manytimes we talked wasn't
encouraged to do art because itwasn't going to be a career that
would sustain a lifestyle thatmy family thought that I needed
to have.
You know, as a young woman andhaving that, I don't want to say
(22:42):
regret that I didn't go to youknow art school.
I wanted to, I wanted to badly,and I do have you know the same
kind of thing, man.
What if that would havehappened?
But I'm grateful for where I'mat now and I am not waiting to
do this any longer.
I'm doing it now and that'simportant message for me as well
(23:02):
to get out there, just start,don't wait yeah.
Speaker 3 (23:06):
That's what you've done with this business.
Speaker 2 (23:08):
Yeah, I love it and when you said that, I'm like, oh
my God, stop.
I'm thinking this is big, Ilove what you've done here.
Speaker 3 (23:14):
Thank you, but you've stepped out and you had to do
it.
Speaker 2 (23:20):
I have to draw every morning before I start work.
At 730 in the morning, I haveto get it out.
Speaker 3 (23:25):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (23:34):
It bothers me all day if I don't have a chance to do
that.
And it's like this place, assoon as this really came to
fruition and it was an actualviable thing that I'm like I'm
going to make this happen it hasenergized me beyond ways that I
can even explain, becausepeople are like don't you sleep,
don't do this, because I'mworking a full-time job on top
of this and I can't explain howI am full of energy, full of
just promise for this takeoffand do well, but not just for me
(23:58):
, but for the community.
That's so important.
Speaker 3 (24:02):
It is.
And one thing I almost forgotto mention that I wanted to be
sure to mention, and you and Idid talk about this yesterday
because asked me you know my dadpassed away in 2018.
And you asked me so, did heever see any of your art, any of
your work?
And he never did, and you knowthat's unfortunate.
It would have been cool.
(24:23):
He would have loved it.
He would have loved it.
Dad didn't do, he wasn't anabstract guy.
He would have loved it, though.
I guarantee you he would haveloved it though.
Speaker 2 (24:31):
I guarantee you he would have, he would have loved
it.
Speaker 3 (24:33):
He would have been proud, he would have raved about
it.
Whether it was good or baddidn't matter, cause you know,
he he was a fan, but um, henever did see it and it would
have been cool if he could have.
So, you know, many times when Idoubt myself or I don't feel
like doing anything, or whateveryou know the stuff we do, um, I
(24:56):
just think about my dad, youknow, and in a way, so much of
what I do is, uh, to honor him,um, because of the influence
that he had with um, with hiswork.
And you know, I should probablyshare that real quick story of
the fact that when dad did hiscartooning, back in the 60s and
the 70s, I showed you a bunch ofcartoons.
Speaker 2 (25:18):
Yes, you did, they're amazing.
Speaker 3 (25:20):
Yeah, he would do these single panel cartoons and
they were really funny.
But you know, like anyone inthe publishing world or anything
else, if you don't have anagent and you're not with a
syndicate and you don't havethese ways to get your work out.
There, you're just a lone wolfflying solo doing your thing,
and so dad didn't have any wayto market his work, and so, as a
(25:45):
result, over time, he justsubmitted them to a lot of
publications, but they werenever accepted, never published.
We're going to have to sharesome, exactly A couple of people
can see the style you know, andso I think about the fact that
he didn't have the opportunitythat I have now, and so it's
just an incentive to keep goingand not not give up and not not
(26:05):
get down, because he persistedand his, his joke was he had
rejection slips from some of thefinest magazines in the world.
Speaker 2 (26:12):
I love that statement that he said, so he had a good
sense of humor about it.
Speaker 3 (26:16):
He was a realist, and so, yeah, he's still a big
motivational factor.
Speaker 2 (26:20):
I love that.
Well, thank you, tom, and wehave a live story.
Speaker 3 (26:24):
Yeah, people are coming in.
That's right and I love it, sothat's good yeah.
Speaker 2 (26:27):
So thanks again.
You bet I can't wait to sharethis with everyone.
Speaker 3 (26:31):
Sure Well, thanks, Tracy.
This is a special episode to me because it is one
of my first of many that I haveplanned highlighting the
exhibiting artist at my newstudio and we recorded this in
person at the studio.
So you're going to hear ussharing a mic, because I usually
do this remotely with my guests, and you're going to hear
(00:28):
people coming into the shop,because we were doing this live
at the shop.
I hope you still enjoy it and Iam thrilled to bring you Tom
Delamater.
He is a wonderful abstractartist here in the Stark County
community and you get to hearall about his process and
everything we have coming up.
Speaker 2 (00:47):
So enjoy Welcome back to Brutally Made.
I am ecstatic about having TomDelamater here for a special
broadcast and a special episode,because he is my exhibiting
artist for September.
Welcome, tom.
Speaker 3 (01:06):
Thanks, tracy, it's great to be with you.
Speaker 2 (01:08):
I'm really excited for the show which is coming up
for the entire month.
We have a ribbon cutting thisweek on Thursday night and right
after that is Tom's receptionfor his beautiful artwork, and I
can't wait for him to share hisentire story.
You're going to start from whenyou were a child Now.
Really I mean his influencefrom his father and what he
(01:30):
shared with me so far is justwonderful, and your process and
everything that you do with yourart.
I would love for you to go backas far as you would like, but
really I just think that it'sfascinating, so please share.
Speaker 3 (01:43):
Well, I appreciate the chance to do that and talk
about my dad, because he was avery talented illustrator and
cartoonist.
Dad was a draftsman by trade.
He worked at Diebold here inCanton for 30 years and on the
side he was always doodling andhe took, he went to school, took
some drawing classes, but hehad also done that since his
(02:06):
high school days and so dad justwas a very, he just had a great
eye and he developed over timeto draw appealing characters and
(02:29):
funny characters.
But he also had the ability tosee things in three dimensions,
especially because he was adraftsman Right.
So much of what he did for hiscareer was he designed bank
vaults and bank systems forDiebold was he designed bank
vaults and bank systems forDiebold Right, and so draftsmen
are kind of like architects,they understand how to do that
(02:50):
and Dad saw everythingthree-dimensionally, so he had
this ability to draw like aerialviews of things and sketch out
buildings and neighborhoods orwhat have you.
So that was an influence justfrom the standpoint that he was
always doing it.
And then dad also, I thinkmaybe underappreciated by us
kids growing up, he had a lot ofbooks on art and he had a lot
(03:15):
of books that contain, you know,reprints of famous paintings.
Speaker 2 (03:19):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (03:20):
So we had that around the house all the time and
growing up.
Those were fun to look at, butnothing really clicked.
Speaker 2 (03:29):
Right.
Speaker 3 (03:29):
During that period of time, and so he showed me a few
things drawing and sketchingand I started to do that when I
was in high school.
But then that just faded and Igot into other things and got
into my career and didn't pursueany of it until much later in
life.
Speaker 2 (03:46):
I know that's what you shared and I'm going to see
if I can sneak some of thedrawings a couple of his fathers
, because he has shared thosewith me, tom.
They're amazing and I love hiswriting with them.
And you were sharing how theperspective, like you said, in
his mind, is translated on paperwith a story and it's just.
Speaker 3 (04:13):
It's so creative and your career, like you said,
really isn't based in art,wasn't starting out in art, but
you're a very creative person.
Well thanks, I was alwaysaround mostly art direction
publication, design, advertisingand because of that then I also
worked around a lot ofphotographers and some really
world-class photographers, andthen you learn things about
lighting and you learn aboutcolor.
(04:33):
You learn about composition.
So I never claimed to be an artdirector in the purest sense.
I worked with a lot of artdirectors.
I designed a lot ofpublications, newsletters and
things of that nature over theyears, flyers and things that I
did myself.
I mean I had that ability to do.
But an art director to me issomebody who has taken that to a
(04:53):
whole nother level.
But I worked with a lot of ourgreat art directors over the
years in publishing and inadvertising and so again, those
things start to rub off on youand and you learn from those
people photographers, artdirectors and so on and so it
was during that period of time,I think, that I gained a real
appreciation for color andbalance and composition and
(05:13):
things, and that obviously hasserved me well.
Speaker 2 (05:17):
It has.
Yeah, Because those are some ofyour strongest suits.
When you look at your piecesand the abstract and
impressionism that you tend todescribe your pieces having, you
can see that.
But the influence of thatexperience also comes through,
Just like you're pocketing allof that knowledge as you're
(05:39):
talking to an art director,you're talking to a photographer
, your layout, all of that I cansee that bits and pieces are in
your work and I just think it'sfascinating Also the fact that
you did not even start paintinguntil the pandemic.
Speaker 3 (05:53):
Right, that's when it started.
Speaker 2 (05:55):
That is incredible.
Speaker 3 (05:57):
Yeah, it's kind of wild.
I told you the story and, to beas brief as I can, I told you
the story and to be as brief asI can.
Speaker 2 (06:05):
You know we can talk a long time.
Speaker 3 (06:13):
Well, you know, my daughter was moving and I
thought I didn't really needanything, but I thought, well,
it'd be cool to do somethingsort of as a housewarming.
So anyway, I decided, well, I'dalways thought about air quotes
painting and had never done itRight All these years, and so I
thought, why not?
So I literally went down to thelocal discount store got some
inexpensive canvases.
(06:34):
Um, but, of course, first Iwent online and I Googled some
painting instruction and I foundsome videos and I found one
that I thought, well, I could dothat, and it was a blotting
paint, blotting technique, whichis very simple and very basic,
and I thought, well, I can dothat.
So I got the materials and Idid a painting and I ended up,
(06:57):
just for fun, putting it on myFacebook account, and a lot of
people that I knew said heythat's really good.
And then people started askingme could you do me, do one for
me?
And so I did a few as gifts,and that's really how it all
started.
But even then I wasn'tnecessarily thinking, oh, I'm
going to do this.
Speaker 2 (07:12):
I'm going to be an artist.
Speaker 3 (07:16):
But what happened was the following spring.
This would have been in 2021.
I was out of town on a kind ofa fact-finding business trip is
what I'll call that and I wascooped up in a hotel for several
months three, four months andso that got old real fast.
Plus, the pandemic was stillhaving an effect.
(07:39):
People weren't out.
A lot People still were not.
You know people were wearingmasks.
This is still a year later.
So I was in the room a lot andthat can you get to be stir
crazy.
So there was a Walmart about ahalf mile down the road.
I went down there and I pickedup some canvas panels and some
Walmart acrylics and someplastic palette knives and some
(08:00):
inexpensive brushes and I justtook it all back to the room.
I covered the table that was inthe room with the blanket and I
just started painting.
Speaker 2 (08:07):
Oh, my God.
Speaker 3 (08:08):
And I just went wherever it took me.
I didn't claim to have anyexpertise, but I would go online
and I would bring up images ofartwork and you know, obviously
it took me in the direction ofabstract art, but I love it
anyway and that's another storybecause of the Jackson Pollock
influence.
But I just started doing it andover the course of that spring,
(08:33):
just about four months notquite four months I did about 50
paintings.
Speaker 2 (08:36):
That's incredible.
Speaker 3 (08:38):
Yeah, because I had the time.
Speaker 2 (08:39):
Right and.
Speaker 3 (08:40):
I'm not going to claim they were all worth
looking at, but you know I didthem.
Speaker 2 (08:44):
Right.
Speaker 3 (08:44):
They're still around somewhere.
How amazing to me.
Speaker 2 (08:48):
I just love that story and I love how you're
still evolving in your style andyou're not afraid to try
something different, becausesome of these you told me you
know you've had a lot of peoplecomment how much they love them
and it feels like, oh, I'mgetting a lot of great feedback
and that leads me to feel likethis would be successful.
(09:09):
But then you turn and you try adifferent style.
Speaker 3 (09:12):
Yeah, it's, it's.
It really has evolved over time.
You know I I didn't mentionJackson Pollock to drop a name
by any means.
Speaker 2 (09:19):
You know, you just can't know, but visually I think
that helps people, that helpspeople listening to kind of get
an idea you don't want topresume to do something like
that, but it really goes back towhen I wasn't painting.
Speaker 3 (09:29):
I wasn't an artist of any kind.
When I first saw the film thatEd Harris did about Jackson
Pollock, I was really fascinated.
Again, don't want to go too deepinto all this kind of stuff,
but I really identified with thecharacter kind of stuff but I
really identified with thecharacter and I think now,
looking back, the reason is thatas a child I spent a lot of
(09:50):
time alone and even when I wasin school in middle school, high
school I almost felt at timeslike somebody, an observer in a
movie, watching what was goingon around me as opposed to being
immersed in the experience.
So if you want to call that aloner, you know you can call it
(10:10):
that.
People are surprised when I saythat, because I've always been
in public relations and I'mcomfortable speaking in front of
groups, I'm comfortable insocial situations.
I don't have a problem withthat, but it was the
circumstances of life.
I was alone a lot and so when Isaw the film it was just the,
(10:33):
the character and the way it wasportrayed.
There were things I couldreally identify with.
It was interesting to me theeffect it had on me.
I'm not an addictivepersonality, it's not an
alcoholism, drug addiction thingor anything like he had trouble
with.
But it was just the dialogueand it was the sense of how he
progressed as a person and as anartist that was really
(10:56):
fascinating to me.
You know, pollock was not a kindof a person anybody really
should emulate but at the sametime when you see a story like
that and you can feel empathyfor the character then there's a
connection there, and I didn'tmake the full connection until I
started painting, and that'swhen I kind of went back to all
(11:18):
of that and I began to readabout him and other abstract
expressionists and I foundmyself really immersed in that
time period and fascinated by ityeah.
And I still am.
So it definitely had an effecton me, and then now it's begun
to kind of show through in someof my work too.
And I don't run from it.
Speaker 2 (11:36):
I mean it just does no, and I love that you're
embracing it and that accidentalaspect of the whole thing, like
you didn't know that you coulddo this, or I'm going to try
this and it may fail, but I'mgoing to try it anyway.
And you created over 50paintings just by, you know,
trying.
And we talked about this acouple of times, especially
recently that you've beenhanging your show that people
(11:58):
are just so scared to just eventry and they see your work and
it's like, oh, I would love todo that and that's always.
Speaker 3 (12:05):
But yeah, I like to tell people just just go ahead
and do it.
That's exactly how I startedand I didn't have any expertise.
I didn't have any.
I didn't make any claims.
I didn't presume to think I wasgoing to necessarily keep doing
it.
But here I am and you know, theonly thing I can say to people
is if you really feel like doingit, then just do it.
(12:26):
Just do it, Just try it.
You don't have to start withany expertise.
Don't let your fear or yourlack of knowledge or familiarity
with any process hold you backfrom trying.
You can always find people whocan help you fineune your work,
your technique, your skill level.
(12:47):
You can learn from people, youcan take courses, you can do all
kinds of things, but you can'tdo any of it if you don't start.
Speaker 2 (12:53):
Yeah, and it's okay to find someone like a Jackson
Pollock who you resonate eithervisually, emotionally with and
try to replicate some of those.
You know moves and drops, andthat's totally fine.
Start there, because that willgive you confidence to build on
that.
Some people are so worried that, oh, it's going to look just
(13:15):
like that.
It's not.
Your hand will come through,your style will present itself.
You don't have to know therules, and I'm doing air quotes
now of art.
Those are all made to be broken.
It's great to learn them.
It's wonderful to have thatfoundation.
I think it's fascinating forart history and knowing
foundational things about colorand light.
(13:36):
It helps me want to learn more.
I love learning, and so I thinkthat that should be a driving
force, but it should not be thereason that you start because
you don't know those things.
Speaker 3 (13:50):
Absolutely.
And yeah, it's just you and Iwere talking about this the
other day and talking about thefear factor, which became a term
, but, yeah, you don't want tolet that scare you.
And and the other part of ittoo is for me.
I was, you know, my career.
I was fortunate in that mycareer in public relations and
(14:12):
advertising and marketing put mein contact with so many.
Definitely, you know people thathad had skill, particular
artistic photographic skill.
What have you Excuse me?
And then you put on top of thatthe fact that I worked in
education for a number of years.
I worked in doing marketing inK-12 and then I also worked in
(14:32):
higher ed and my most recentfull-time position was with a
community college district inTexas and we had a gallery at
one of the campuses.
We had art faculty there justsome superb artists, art
historians, photographers,sculptors.
Speaker 2 (14:50):
Oh, wow.
Speaker 3 (14:51):
And so I was around them a lot, because our
department again I was doingpublic relations, so we helped
promote the drama, the music,the art department, the gallery,
and so I was around them a lotand I was fascinated by their
skill, their talent, theirknowledge, just high respect and
(15:12):
regard for all of them.
And so over time, then too Iwould attend the different
exhibitions at the gallery, andthe gallery director would have
artists from the Dallas area andbeyond come in and do shows.
So then you're exposed to awhole, a whole nother group of
brilliant artists, and it wasjust a cool thing to be immersed
(15:34):
in and to be around, so thatagain, I wasn't even doing art,
I wasn't painting.
I didn't think I had anyaspiration to that, I just
enjoyed it.
Right and but it rubbed off.
And so now, you know I I reflectback on those times quite a bit
, when I'm when I'm doing mywork, or when I'm hanging
(15:57):
paintings or, you know, curatingor installing a show.
Yeah, those, those things ruboff on you.
Speaker 2 (16:02):
Yeah, you think back.
Speaker 3 (16:03):
That's a huge thing, but if I hadn't started at some
point and this has all happenedafter all of it.
I know All those experiencesadded up and then one day I
flipped a switch and here I am.
Speaker 2 (16:15):
I know it's not like you were painting in the middle
of this and you're askingquestions that you could apply
right then.
I mean, it's just all of thisknowledge built up.
Speaker 3 (16:24):
I had no idea, no notion I was ever going to do it
.
Go figure.
Speaker 2 (16:29):
Yeah, it's incredible .
Your work is incredible and I'malso really excited that you
have agreed to teach class.
So we decided on the date.
So it's going to be September30th in an evening and you're
going to instruct and lead, butreally give people the autonomy
to do their own work withabstract art, and they're going
(16:52):
to get to create two camps.
Speaker 3 (16:53):
Yeah, the idea here is just start.
There you go, and that's thething, just start.
And so anybody who's listeningand would like to try, just come
and start.
Don't overthink it, don't thinkyou don't have the ability,
don't think you don't, you,you're not qualified.
Um, that's unfortunate.
You know, when I look at yourwork, when I look at my work,
(17:14):
when I look at anyone's work,now I, I look at it so
differently and, um, I, I reallydon't look, I'm not a critic of
artists, um, because why?
You know, that's just not myrole.
I'm not a critic, I'm, I'm anencourager, I'm an admirer, I'm
(17:35):
a fan and, uh, I just think it'sgreat when people put
themselves out there and give ita go, and that that's that has
value to me, that that's worthsomething, and so, yeah, these
classes, um, this I appreciateyou, you, you appreciate you
inviting me to do it.
I plan to show one of thetechniques that I kind of picked
(17:58):
up early on that I found, Ithink, let's say, easy enough
air quotes again to do and yetstill produce a piece of art
that is, you know, that you canbe, you can be happy with.
Speaker 2 (18:15):
You can be proud of Right.
Speaker 3 (18:16):
Right there on the spot.
Speaker 2 (18:18):
And.
Speaker 3 (18:18):
I think we can be successful at this class in
showing people what's possible.
It's not super ambitious, butit's ambitious enough to where I
hope people can come away andsay you know, I did that and I'd
like to do more of those.
Right, that'd be a really,really cool.
You know experience to knowthat some people came and did
(18:38):
this and then continued on fromthere.
Speaker 2 (18:40):
Yeah, I agree, I think that would be the best
feedback because, that influenceand you're setting that in
their mind.
Speaker 3 (18:45):
Sure.
Speaker 2 (18:45):
So I just am thrilled for one that you agreed to
exhibit.
I just love that it's here andI love that we're going to have
this episode out, and all ofTom's information from his
website and social mediaplatforms will be in the show
notes so you can contact him ifyou would like to have his work
(19:07):
showcased in your gallery.
That is what this space is for.
Has work showcased in yourgallery that?
is what this space is for is ajumping off point for other
people in our community to getto see work of other artists.
Tom is a resident artist atPatina Art Center downtown
Canton Beautiful facility thatpromotes so much in our arts
district and we love havingRight in the center of it and a
(19:29):
lot of artists and photographers.
Always beautiful shows and Ijust love everything that
they're doing there.
So I appreciate that you've gotsome pieces here and it's just
to expand everyone's knowledge.
Speaker 3 (19:41):
Yeah, very much so, and you know we were talking
about this last night or thenight before.
We've been working together thelast couple of days, but night
before we've been workingtogether the last couple of days
.
But, um, you know, one of thethings that I re, I remember
from 20, whatever years ago itwas when.
Ed Harris did the Pollock movie, so when I watched it again,
you know after.
I, I started painting and it'sthat whole idea of serendipity
(20:05):
we were talking about where andI thought that that Ed Harris
portrayed it really well and thestory's been told many times
about Pollock, where heeffectively just mistakenly
dripped paint on the edge andcorners of a canvas, was
fascinated by it and thenstarted doing it more.
And of course, pollock workedon the floor and he had large
(20:26):
canvases and he walked aroundthem and he walked in them and
he, you know the whole thing,but he, you know, started.
That's where he started doingthe dripping, that's where he
started doing this actiontechnique.
And I you know when I saw themovie again after I had got
involved in painting.
Of course I saw it in a wholedifferent way, but I remember
how that resonated with me 20plus years ago when that scene
(20:49):
occurred, and it makes you thinkwhat, if you know?
What, if that event had nothappened?
What would Jackson Pollock'swork have continued to look like
if that had never happened?
But it took him a whole notherdirection.
It was a direction thatrevolutionized, for better or
worse.
There's a lot of people thatdon't like Pollock's work.
(21:09):
There's a lot of people who do,but it revolutionized art
during that period it was one ofthe things that revolutionized
art.
It might've never happened.
So, you know, we all, I think,encounter things like that,
whether it's in just our dailylives or in our artistic
pursuits, and it's really coolto think about time and chance
(21:33):
in addition to intent, and a lotof the work that I've done has
been time and chance and then alot of it's intent.
I'm sure you've experienced thesame thing.
Speaker 2 (21:41):
Oh God, absolutely A hundred percent.
Now when I'm at in this space,absolutely.
Speaker 3 (21:47):
So you know again, just start.
You got to start, and then youmight be surprised at what
happens, but I'm grateful for it.
I'm really grateful for the wayart has has led to a lot of
fulfillment, has changed my life, I'm sure, in many ways, you
know, and so it was late in life.
(22:08):
I mean that rather than sitthere and think, well man,
wouldn't it have been cool to goto art school when I was 20
years old and been painting allthose years?
This is what I was meant to doat this particular time.
So, I just try to embrace it andgo with it.
Speaker 2 (22:22):
I feel the same way.
I can't even tell you how manytimes we talked wasn't
encouraged to do art because itwasn't going to be a career that
would sustain a lifestyle thatmy family thought that I needed
to have.
You know, as a young woman andhaving that, I don't want to say
(22:42):
regret that I didn't go to youknow art school.
I wanted to, I wanted to badly,and I do have you know the same
kind of thing, man.
What if that would havehappened?
But I'm grateful for where I'mat now and I am not waiting to
do this any longer.
I'm doing it now and that'simportant message for me as well
(23:02):
to get out there, just start,don't wait yeah.
Speaker 3 (23:06):
That's what you've done with this business.
Speaker 2 (23:08):
Yeah, I love it and when you said that, I'm like, oh
my God, stop.
I'm thinking this is big, Ilove what you've done here.
Speaker 3 (23:14):
Thank you, but you've stepped out and you had to do
it.
Speaker 2 (23:20):
I have to draw every morning before I start work.
At 730 in the morning, I haveto get it out.
Speaker 3 (23:25):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (23:34):
It bothers me all day if I don't have a chance to do
that.
And it's like this place, assoon as this really came to
fruition and it was an actualviable thing that I'm like I'm
going to make this happen it hasenergized me beyond ways that I
can even explain, becausepeople are like don't you sleep,
don't do this, because I'mworking a full-time job on top
of this and I can't explain howI am full of energy, full of
just promise for this takeoffand do well, but not just for me
(23:58):
, but for the community.
That's so important.
Speaker 3 (24:02):
It is.
And one thing I almost forgotto mention that I wanted to be
sure to mention, and you and Idid talk about this yesterday
because asked me you know my dadpassed away in 2018.
And you asked me so, did heever see any of your art, any of
your work?
And he never did, and you knowthat's unfortunate.
It would have been cool.
(24:23):
He would have loved it.
He would have loved it.
Dad didn't do, he wasn't anabstract guy.
He would have loved it, though.
I guarantee you he would haveloved it though.
Speaker 2 (24:31):
I guarantee you he would have, he would have loved
it.
Speaker 3 (24:33):
He would have been proud, he would have raved about
it.
Whether it was good or baddidn't matter, cause you know,
he he was a fan, but um, henever did see it and it would
have been cool if he could have.
So, you know, many times when Idoubt myself or I don't feel
like doing anything, or whateveryou know the stuff we do, um, I
(24:56):
just think about my dad, youknow, and in a way, so much of
what I do is, uh, to honor him,um, because of the influence
that he had with um, with hiswork.
And you know, I should probablyshare that real quick story of
the fact that when dad did hiscartooning, back in the 60s and
the 70s, I showed you a bunch ofcartoons.
Speaker 2 (25:18):
Yes, you did, they're amazing.
Speaker 3 (25:20):
Yeah, he would do these single panel cartoons and
they were really funny.
But you know, like anyone inthe publishing world or anything
else, if you don't have anagent and you're not with a
syndicate and you don't havethese ways to get your work out.
There, you're just a lone wolfflying solo doing your thing,
and so dad didn't have any wayto market his work, and so, as a
(25:45):
result, over time, he justsubmitted them to a lot of
publications, but they werenever accepted, never published.
We're going to have to sharesome, exactly A couple of people
can see the style you know, andso I think about the fact that
he didn't have the opportunitythat I have now, and so it's
just an incentive to keep goingand not not give up and not not
(26:05):
get down, because he persistedand his, his joke was he had
rejection slips from some of thefinest magazines in the world.
Speaker 2 (26:12):
I love that statement that he said, so he had a good
sense of humor about it.
Speaker 3 (26:16):
He was a realist, and so, yeah, he's still a big
motivational factor.
Speaker 2 (26:20):
I love that.
Well, thank you, tom, and wehave a live story.
Speaker 3 (26:24):
Yeah, people are coming in.
That's right and I love it, sothat's good yeah.
Speaker 2 (26:27):
So thanks again.
You bet I can't wait to sharethis with everyone.
Speaker 3 (26:31):
Sure Well, thanks, Tracy.
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