Coffee Break with Tom Veiga

Hey Tom, how are you? What’s been happening?

I am very happy to be preparing a new exhibition, I’m doing the new gear, arranging the frames of the pictures, and making some new products that excite me and also happy to work from home. Seeing my kids grow up is a gift from God.

Absolutely… Let’s talk about art. What inspires you to create?

God created each wave around the world seamlessly: each wave has a color, a movement, a unique way. It inspires me to portray these differences. My work seeks to show that each wave is unique and I try to interpret it through my colors and shapes, always keeping the maximum interpretation of the unique characteristics using the minimum possible traces of valuing colors and curves.

What are the perfect conditions for your creativity?

My creative process is extensive. Inspiration can come at any time and therefore I always walk with paper and pencil because when it appears I stop and draw, but when I’m working on some specific project I like working in cafés where I find a quiet place, without a lot of noise. I need to be quiet to work – put on a headset and good music that makes me ready to create.

Who are your favourite artists in the surfing world?

I really like the work of Jay Alders and Erik Abel. I like the way they interpret the waves – they have a unique trait and that highly values their work.

Being a surf artist sounds like a dream job. What are the challenges and what do you love about it?

I dreamed for many years about working with surf art. Being able to travel and portray waves was really a dream job and thank God after much work I managed to realize that dream – of devoting myself entirely to art in the surf. But it was not easy, I worked in an internet agency before I devoted my time to art, but my dream was to dedicate myself to doing it – and surf in parallel to my job. I was gaining more space and my work with waves that began as a hobby began winning with its own style and form. Then I decided to quit the agency and devote myself to it and today I am happy to live on surf art, making projects in various parts of the world using my art.

What are your favourite mediums and is there anything you’d love to experiment with in future?

I want to devote more painting surfboards. This is something that I still miss – this year I want to make my first exhibition of painted planks. It’s a personal challenge.