Art & Life with Bryan Tipton

Today we’d like to introduce you to Bryan Tipton.

Bryan, please kick things off for us by telling us about yourself and your journey so far.
I’ve always had an innate need to create. I graduated with a degree in Electrical Engineering in 1995, and while doing so, fed my creative side by taking classes in drawing, film, and writing. After having drawn my entire life, about ten years ago I felt that I had plateaued in my artistic skill set.

Looking for a solution, I started taking classes part-time at the Watts Atelier of the Arts in Encinitas and grew immensely. It changed everything, and I’ve been taking classes on and off there ever since. I’ve wanted to exhibit my work for a while, but it was imperative to me that what I displayed publicly was at a high level. Three years ago, feeling comfortable with the quality of work I was producing, I started showing in galleries, shops, and art shows.

Can you give our readers some background on your art?
I am an artist that uses a wide range of mediums including oil, acrylic, watercolor, printmaking, charcoal, and pencil, among others, but my primary medium is pen and ink. I use reference, either drawing directly from life or from photos that I took. In each piece, I try to introduce chaos to the process and then see if I can solve the problems I created for myself. I believe this approach creates a unique, more engaging work.

My subject matter is varied but generally focuses on the human element — gravitating towards figurative work. Each piece represents the exact moment it was created — reflecting my mindset and how I’m being affected in that instant. Had any piece been started a week earlier or later, it could look completely different.

My goal is to always create something beautiful. My hope is that if I draw something beautifully, people will see that object as being beautiful, whether it’s a figure, skull, or something as simple as a salt shaker. I rarely employ overt messages. As an artist, the challenge is to create the most visually luscious, delicious, and alluring dessert, and hide the pill inside.

I have to create. I grow restless and uneasy if I don’t. Art makes me appreciate details I would have previously missed. Looking out the car window on a road trip, I’m actively engaged as scenes could become prospective paintings. Art adds a richness to my life I wouldn’t have had otherwise.

How do you think about success, as an artist, and what do quality do you feel is most helpful?
Art is tough. Growth is not linear. As an engineer, everything is binary — it either works or it doesn’t. In art, choices are infinite and outcomes vague. There’s the constant iterative cycle of self-doubt and excitement. It’s difficult to manage these aspects.

The definition of success varies wildly from artist to artist, but ultimately you can only control the appearance and quality of what you create, and that’s where I focus. My idea of success is very personal, with the ideal goal being that I’m able to bring the internal external and to do so in a manner that is expressive, articulate, authentic, and surprising. I know a piece is done when I become a fan of it.

The characteristic essential to success as an artist is perseverance. There is no talent involved. Only work.

What’s the best way for someone to check out your work and provide support?
I have pieces on display in Little Miss Brewing’s tasting room in Normal Heights, and an illustration in the recently published literary journal, “Black Candies: The Eighties,” available on Amazon.

I actively post new work on my Instagram at brytip. People interested in a piece I post can contact me here or through my website. I also have a Facebook page.

I regularly participate in group art shows throughout the year and promote those through social media.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.bryantipton.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brytip
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bryantiptonart
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/brytip

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