Today we’d like to introduce you to Buddy Tomak.
Hi Buddy, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Several years ago, I start practicing and falling in love with art again, since high school. My kids are all grown up and I had time on my hands after work to practice what was becoming an obsession.
After a few years of “I can’t wait till I get off work so I can paint” I started to make more money on the weekends with my art than my Job all week long. So I eventually quit my job and have been a full-time artist ever since.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
In the beginning, it had its rough spots mainly trying to figure out the roller-coaster finances. After that, it was running smoothly until 2020 and I think we all know why.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’m an artist/portrait painter. I specialize in acrylic paints on Canvas using my client’s photos and also their imagination…. often times using multiple photos to create a single painting.
What I’m most proud of is that in my 40s, I could quit my job and make more money and more opportunities for myself than any job I had ever held… period. What sets me apart from others is I’m self-taught and never really mingled with the “art community” I sorta carved my own community.
The people who primarily purchase my art have never even seen an art gallery. My work hangs in a million-dollar mansion and also a trailer in the woods.
Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
I think at this point… it’s hard to say where any of us are going to be or not going to be in the next 5-10 years.
If I was being less morbid. I would say of course… Art hasn’t and never will go anywhere… nowadays it’s more possible for an artist to make a living. All you need is an internet connection and passion for what you do. People will gravitate toward passion alone.
As far as shifting… a lot is going to digital… but I think actual paint on a canvas feeds our inner carnal human beings and will always have a place in our homes.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @BuddyTomak
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BTomakArtcustompaintings/
- TikTok: @BTomakArt
