Tom Veiga is a Brazilian surf artist and art designer. Today we caught up for a quick chat about his art, life and inspiration.
Make sure you check out the gallery of his surf images at the bottom of this article.
Note: We’ve kept Tom’s words as unedited as possible so excuse any grammatical issues, we prefer to deliver quotes as they were spoken.
Hi Tom, we love your work! When did you start creating wave art?
I started my surf art about 2 years ago. Since then I’m always working on it, whenever I take moments out or have an idea to create something.
And what is your inspiration?
My inspiration comes from the waves and wanting to make a change in the world. God made each wave so perfect with a unique feature, a shape, speed, a temperature and a different colour. No wave is the same as another and these differences in each wave in the world inspire me to draw my vision of them. I try to express the waves with my style.
Sometimes the inspiration comes from travel, or maybe it comes through a surfing magazine, a DVD, a website, a photo. It can come at any time so I always walk around with pencils and paper in hand, because when it comes I immediately start work on it.
Where is your favourite surf spot?
The place I like best is here in Brazil in Florianopolis. A place called Garopaba: beautiful, good beaches and many, many waves.
What medium do you use in your art?
I have two ways to work on my gear. Before anything I draw waves on a paper. After that scan the drawing to the computer where I start to trace and colour in illustration programs. When the drawing is ready I order prints on photographic paper and put in the frame.
Another way I have started a short time ago is painting on canvas with acrylic paints.
When you create art?
The creation time is relative. I always walk around with paper and pencils so as not to lose the idea for something new. But in the end it is always time off because I work in an Internet agency as art director during the day. In my time off I relax by the waves.
For me to make a wave is something relaxing, I make art for myself as a distraction from the rush of everyday life.
Tell us about your Waves Series – When did you start these artworks?
A few years ago I met artists who expressed their passion for waves with their own style and then began to wonder how they were inspired to create their art based on the waves using colours, shapes and form, then started thinking how I could do the same.
I made many attempts searching for my style of art and tried different ways of painting but not reaching a final result that I was happy with. There were many attempts at drawing and painting, until one day I thought of a wave and finished it on my computer, using my design knowledge to complete the wave.
After the computer finished the end result pleased me. I saw I had created my own style of interpreting the waves and so Serie Waves was born. I’ve been working hard and progressing my expression of art with each new wave since.
How can people buy your art?
Anyone can buy the gear through my website, just get in touch with me.
Click on the images to view large versions.
