My name is Toby Ross and I am a a 22 year old artist based in Berkshire, UK.
When did I start painting?
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 whimsical settings. 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 at the time, so creating art became a way for me to be creative outside of assignments and coursework. From there on my passion grew.
What style is my art?
I always find this a difficult question. I’ve only been painting for a couple of years now so I find that my style is still constantly shifting and I am always finding new techniques and ideas that I like to incorporate into my pieces. Of course it is an artist’s goal to settle on a style that they can call their own, and I feel like I am on my way to that point, but by no means am I there yet. If I had to label my artworks with a style it would have to be Surrealism, with a mix of folk and outsider art elements. I love to create art that unlocks the inner-child of the mind with bright colours and whacky characters set in surreal worlds. Creating new worlds and creatures to set my paintings inside of is the part of creating that feels most exciting to me.
Where do I find my inspiration?
Everything. Film, TV, Music, Paintings, Animations. In the past 2 years when anyone has asked me who my inspirations are, my instant answers have always been Dr. Seuss and Tim Burton. They both are extremely creative in their character and world creation, creating such surreal and eerie worlds that I absolutely love. I am a big horror fan generally, but the spookier tones of Tim Burton are an energy which I really channel when creating ideas for my artworks. Dr. Seuss also brings that child-like quality into this feeling. I love having a childish feel about my art because it transports you back into that raw, emotional feeling that disappears the older you get. I think it’s very important to stay in touch with your childish side. Some other notable artists that have really influenced my style are Leonora Carrington, Egon Schiele, Kazland, Jack Stauber, Aleksandra Waliszewska, Lewis Rossignol and Picasso.
What do I see for myself in the future?
I will definitely continue to paint for as long as I live. I will also definitely pursue some different aspects of the art world. As I wrote above this, I was always primarily a musician and I still write songs and music to this day, so I would love to incorporate some music creation and releasing into my career. Also, following in the footsteps of Dr. Seuss (but also hopefully in a way that is unique to me) I would really love to write and illustrate a children’s book. One of those ones that you grow up and never forget because it used to scare you as a child but for some reason you couldn’t tear your eyes away. I have also recently been taking interest in animation, specifically claymation, as I feel the worlds and characters in my paintings could translate really nicely into video media.