Tommy Johnson Art

I dedicated my life to the pursuit of creativity. Since I was a boy I’ve been putting pencil to paper and paint to canvas. My parents were the first to discover that I had such a skill. Many of my teachers in grade school mentioned my artistic skills, but it wasn’t until 4th grade, when my teacher submitted a painting of mine into a children’s art contest. The painting depicted Olympic runners at the finish line with the winner’s arms raised in victory. It ended up winning first prize locally and went on to earn second prize in an international competition. From then on, I dedicated myself to studying art diligently. Through middle school and high school, I spent hours upon hours taking classes and working in the studio. During this time, a painting I created depicting three heroic firemen displayed in the hallowed halls of Princeton University for a year. I applied for two colleges, Carnegie Mellon and Loyola College. Both were offering me full scholarships, Carnegie Mellon for art but Loyola offered me a lacrosse scholarship. I chose Loyola solely on the basis that I can also work on my other passion, lacrosse. This gave me the perfect opportunity to play the game I love but to continue working on my craft. I’ve come a long way since being a little boy drawing in class. I’m here in Los Angeles, still working, improving and most of all, creating.

Lacrosse

I absolutely love being an artist but it’s a job sometimes. It’s how I make a living and it can be difficult at times so I’ve got to have an escape. What I do to escape is play a game that involves strength, speed and a little brutality. Sounds a little rough but the game is lacrosse. If you checked out my online gallery you can see that lacrosse is a great inspiration for my work. My lacrosse began when I started playing in 9th grade at Calvert Hall. From the moment I first picked up a stick and put on the helmet, I became hooked on the game. In high school, I developed a great two-way game: scoring goals and defending my own end. It was at Loyola University where I had my best years playing defensive midfielder for the Greyhounds. As full-time defensive leader and part-time enforcer, I played against some of the best lacrosse programs in the country. The highlight of my Loyola career was playing against Syracuse University in the 1990 NCAA Championship game. I followed my college career with a couple of years playing in the professional ranks for the Baltimore Thunder of the National Lacrosse League. When I decided to work on my art career full time, it was the right moment for me to hang up the stick and the helmet. Even though my best playing days are behind me, I still stay close to the game. I play for a semi-pro and I’m an assistant coach at Harvard-Westlake School in Los Angeles. It’s great giving back to the game that has given me much so much. They say sports help shape your character, but a tough sport like lacrosse is one that absolutely forges you.

Sport fishing

Another escape from everything for me is sport fishing. I’m born and bred in Baltimore, MD, so the Atlantic Ocean is not far away and now that I’m in L.A., the Pacific Ocean is right next door. My passion for fishing was instilled in me by my father. I still remember my father

and me going on fishing expeditions out at Ocean City in Maryland. It’s a passion I enjoyed then and still enjoy today. Compared to art and lacrosse, fishing takes you to much more exotic locations. In my journeys to capture the "ultimate" catch, I’ve been up and down the east coast of the U.S., and far off places like Venezuela, Mexico and Australia. You name the fish, I’ve probably caught it and released it, of course. Marlin, sailfish, mahi mahi, striped bass, the list goes on and on. I can’t tell you just what an escape it is to be out in the big blue ocean, chilling on a boat with a beer and waiting for that bite. Follow this link to learn about my fishing odysseys and hear a few stories of how I caught "the big one". think our culture is so sophisticated that now is the best time for art to move forward and find new genres and new styles. Then the product is a broader audience, more in tuned with art and with culture. Originality is the key in broadening our horizons; it is what drives me every single day.