Written and interviewed by: Kelsie Pearson
About Ty Williams
Ty Williams is a mixed media artist focused primarily on the sea and the coastline as his subject. He describes his work as playfully sarcastic and fancifully sublime with an element of innocence and heartbreak. Ty is from Maine but his art can be seen around the world. He is the most recent artist we collaborated with on our Coastal Birds tent design and I was able to ask him a few questions about his art work.
Kelsie: Where are you from and how does that affect your work?
Ty: I am from Maine (was raised somewhat in the Caribbean early on in my life) the ocean , tropical colors, calypso music, and oceanic cultures all play into my work quite literally I think.
Kelsie: Who are your biggest artistic influences?
Ty: My mom and dad (both are creative people), and I love children’s book illustrators Eric Carle.
Kelsie: Where do you find inspiration?
Ty: Traveling, spending time on the beach, old books, reggae records, and friends.
Kelsie: When is your favorite time of day to create?
Ty: I like mid day / I’m slow in the morning, and night time is hard to be motivated.
Kelsie: Do you think art is important to society?
Ty: Art is crucial to society - it’s a powerful form of communication, especially in a time when words aren’t able to say what we need to.
Kelsie: What motivates you to create?
Ty: Besides it being my job I get motivated because I truly enjoy the practice - it gives me a feeling of accomplishment.
Kelsie: How do you define success as an artist?
Ty: If you are happy, enjoy your time creating and perhaps getting the response you would like (whether it’s from yourself or others) you have succeeded- success to me is a feeling.
Kelsie: Does art help you in other areas of your life?
Ty: Art helps me calm down - I’m a very anxious person. Surfing and creating things help offset my nerves.
Kelsie: What's the purpose or goal of your work?
Ty: I make work to keep making more work. If it makes people smile and I’m able to buy groceries then it all was a success-It’s all connected. I enjoy the challenge of making a living from doing something I love to do as well as meeting “kind people'' to work with during the process.
Kelsie: Which art trends inspire your current work?
Ty: I’m inspired by patterns, and simple whimsical design (I don’t think it’s much of a trend).
Kelsie: Is there a specific environment or material that's integral to your work?
Ty: The beach, the beach, and the beach.
Kelsie: How has your style changed over time?
Ty: Over time I have somewhat settled into a few different practices, the patternous paintings, the illustration work and I enjoy handwriting.
It was great to learn more about Ty and his passion for his art, if you want to see more of Ty Willams artwork you can visit his website here