Ty George is an artist and commercial illustrator with CFI Marketing, an advertising agency that specializes in the restaurant supply and equipment industry.
WHY DO COMMERCIAL ILLUSTRATIONS?
Creating visuals for brochures, catalogs and other advertisements help support George’s dream of being a successful artist. “I stay away from the corny stuff that’s overdone. My job serves to feed my art. I want to be a full-time artist in a couple of years.”
HOW LONG HAS HE BEEN PRODUCING FINE ART?
“Four years. I always had the ability, but not the confidence. I guess I stopped worrying about what other people would think. I started doing images I just wanted to get out. I know my audience leaves feeling something. That, to me, is important.”
WHAT IS HIS WORK LIKE?
“I’ve got a unique style — cartoon-ish, dark. You could say it’s a mixture of pop art and abstract.”
WHAT IS HIS PREFERRED MEDIUM?
“I do different things in different mediums. For my [hand-carved] woodblocks, it’s more nature-oriented, more flowing shapes and textures. When I do paintings in acrylic, I tend to get more surreal with odd shapes and colors. It’s darker material. My pen and ink is very bizarre.”
WHAT IS HIS FAVORITE SUBJECT?
“An obscure look at nature.”
WHO HAS INFLUENCED HIM?
“Picasso is one of my favorites. It’s a style I’m comfortable with as far as the look and feel, but I never try to copy a style. To me, it’s like music. You can come up with a whole new song but, for some reason, it sounds just like The Beatles.”
WHAT IS HIS BIGGEST CHALLENGE?
“Motivation. Mood swings. When things are on an even keel, I don’t want to paint. When I’m in a funk is when my creative juices flow. A lot of my fine art is an extension of the darker side of me.”
WHAT IS THE BEST PART?
“A lot of the reward for me is gaining a sense of confidence in my talent and having people appreciate it.”
WHERE HAS HE HAD SHOWS?
Reddi Arts Gallery 1037, the Karpeles Manuscript Library Museum and Art After Dark 2002 have all displayed George’s work. He has a solo show coming up at 200cc Scooter Shop on Hendricks Avenue in March.
EDUCATION
George graduated from the Art Institute of Pittsburgh.
IS HE FROM PENNSYLVANIA?
“Originally, I’m from Columbus, Ohio. In 1992 I was working for an ad agency in West Virginia and wanted to get out of the winter. A friend in Gainesville said to come on down, so I came down.” These days he makes Avondale his home.
HOBBIES?
“Indian artifacts is one of my interests. When I was in Ohio I did a lot of arrowhead hunting. I also love old toys from the 1960s and 1970s and I like playing chess. Music is another major interest. I play the keyboards and piano.”
FAVORITE GETAWAY?
“I really like Key Largo. It’s a nice little fishing spot. I love to go down there and do nothing. It’s laziness at its best.”
HIS HERO?
“Pete Townsend (vocalist of The Who) for what he’s written about. His music has influenced me throughout my life. It really moves me.”
WHAT’S UNIQUE ABOUT JACKSONVILLE?
“It’s the smallest, biggest town I’ve ever lived in. It’s so massive, but it has that small town feel because of the way the people are. That’s the reason I like it here.”
— by Monica Tsai