21 Under 31: Young Artists to Watch in 2014

Florida

TJ Cunningham, Birch, oil, 36 x 36.

Art Education: I had no training whatsoever until my first year at Pensacola Christian College, where I earned a bachelor of science degree in commercial art.

Style: I consider the quality of my paint application nearly as important as a faithful representation of my subject. This mindset typically leads to a somewhat impressionistic style.

Creative Spark: I love my native state of Vermont. Finding power and drama in the landscape, wherever I am, really excites me.

Second-Choice Career: I would definitely open an upscale sandwich shop.

One Thing People Don’t Know About You: Instead of buying a car when I was 16, I bought a horse. While my peers were inside playing Halo, I was galloping about, reenacting the Civil War. It’s terribly nerdy.

Best Advice Received: Make sure you keep Christ first in your life, your family second, and your art third at best.

Biggest Fear: I am certainly afraid of wasting my life, striving for things that cannot satisfy me.

Pet Peeve: I hate laziness and its bodyguard of excuses.

Favorite Studio Music: I usually listen to podcasts, but these days, I am into oldies.

Favorite Work by Another Artist: I feel that John Singer Sargent is the quintessential artist. I always come back to appreciating his craftsmanship.

Price Range: $550 to $12,000.

Representation: Haynes Galleries, Nashville and Franklin, TN; Edgewater Gallery, Middlebury, VT.

Featured in the September 2014 issue of Southwest Art magazine–click below to purchase:
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