Today we’d like to introduce you to Tanner Newman.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I remember falling in love with art very young, I would watch my older sister draw with wonder and admiration. She was such a talented artist I wanted to be able to do it too. I would often sneak her sketchbooks when she wasn’t home, and draw as much as I could, using her work as my reference.
As I got older, I found I really enjoyed drawing, and creating, but I felt less enamored by it, since everyone new it as my sister’s thing. She was the artist who was going to work hard and persevere to make it as a professional, taking it seriously and actively perusing it. I wasn’t as serious about it, for me it was just a hobby, not a realistic way for me to make money.
For years I insisted, although I took art classes all throughout my years in education, I would never try to make it a career.
This mindset led me to studying medicine in university, at least for the first semester.
After several months of school, none of my new acquaintances had inquired about my major, and when one finally did, I lied. I had no reason to lie, pre-med is a very honorable and impressive major to pick, there is no shame in stating it. But it wasn’t what I truly wanted. Deep down, I was still that girl stealing her sister’s sketchbooks. So, I switched my major one semester into university and never looked back.
In school, I had the opportunity to take as many painting and figure classes as they offered. I fell in love with art again, this time with paint. And when I started painting, people suddenly wanted to buy what I painted. I saw how people fell in love with what I created, and it inspired me to create more. As I created more, more and more people became interested in commissions, and I realized I could really make some money to support myself with them. But, after a while, painting commissions became less about the love and enjoyment of it, and more about the money. Creating someone else’s vision made painting a job, just another task. So, I stopped painting for a year.
When I finally began painting again, it was because I wanted to, not for anything, or anyone, else. I had found the enjoyment in imagination again, and painted, and painted, and painted, and painted. I was brimming with pride in my new work and wanted to share the love again. I wanted to show off something I loved so much, I started applying for gallery exhibitions and magazine issues. After many rejections, I finally started getting accepted, and had my first solo exhibition show of my works in 2024. It finally started to feel like a real career path for me. I was allowed to follow my passions, and if I work hard enough, I can do it.
It was hard to get out of my own head, but once I started taking my passions seriously, the work became easier, and the opportunities to meet new people have inspired me and changed my life in so many ways.
I’ve now been lucky enough to travel and show many of my pieces all over the world.
I once said I hated art, now I cant imagine a life without it.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I don’t think it’s ever a smooth road to becoming an artist. Unless you were born into wealth, it’s extremely difficult to make a living out of it. I’ve had so many strange jobs just to be able to afford to make art, and I feel its normal for professional artists to also have “regular” jobs to support themselves. I’ve struggled most with being able to afford all of the supply’s I would like, and in the past have often used very limited palettes simply because I couldn’t buy more paint, and using whatever I could as a canvas.
There was also a period when I stopped painting. I stopped for a whole year. At the time I was in a very unhealthy relationship, and this person hated my art. I shouldn’t have continued to be around someone who couldn’t understand me that fundamentally, but I was young and in love.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Although I enjoy many mediums, I specialize in oil paint. I prefer oils due to there slow-drying quality, smooth texture, and versatility. Using oils, I’m able to create dynamic lighting multiple thin layers of translucent paint, and impasto to add interesting textures into my work.
I would say I’m most notable for my unique art style. Inspired by post-impressionism and surrealism, I blend fantasy and whimsy using bold brushstrokes and colour, to create magnetic, enigmatic, atmospheres.
Are there any books, apps, podcasts or blogs that help you do your best?
My favorite book is The Count of Monte Cristo, other than that I adore reading numerous works of Poe and Shakespeare. I’m partial to works of adventure and dark comedies, works that dive deep into the psyche and dance with the absurd. I feel like a lot of my tastes in reading seep into the themes and style of my work, and connecting with those most bold and bizarre parts of myself aid me in my creative expression.
Pricing:
- “Entwined”: (swan ballerinas- 24 x36in) $3,000
- “Our World”: (large rabbit- 40x60in) $7,200
- “Enchanted Meeting”: (unicorn in woods- 24 x36in) $3,000
- “Grass”: (farmers with horse heads- 48x23in) $4,200
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.etsy.com/shop/FortinbrasArt
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fortinbrasart/
