Today we’d like to introduce you to David Tidwell.
David, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I grew up in Southeastern Oklahoma and was a young veteran fresh out of the Navy. Having been in the San Diego area the last few years, I had become much more exposed to the Arts while I was on the west coast. Skateboarding and art had always been a passion of mine and living in Oklahoma I was a bit far away from that particular culture…but did my best from afar in Oklahoma to keep up with Art Cultures. Having an outstanding Art Teacher in High School, I advanced in Art at a rather young age. My teacher was really great he would pretty much just let me paint and express myself and was really helpful…but in Southern California I was very much inspired by the scene. I knew when I got out of the service I would try and pursue graphics of some sort. I imagined starting a skateboard company and doing my own graphics in them. This is still a dream I hope to achieve one day.
So, I moved to Dallas after my enlistment with girlfriend at that time. We had $900 at the time between both of us and had no jobs no apartment no idea how we would survive. I had enrolled for fall classes at the Art Institute of Dallas as a Computer Animation Major. We were living out of a hotel for a while but we somehow managed to get jobs quickly and settle into an apartment in Plano…things were bumping along pretty good for the first year of school aside from the ultimate hours I was taking at school and long hours at work .
I was working a contracted security job at Hewlett-Packard that I was lucky to get….which was a step up from the waiter job I left behind before that.
One day I get called into the financial aide coordinator’s office or whatever their title was. “Mr. Tidwell…there’s a problem with your VA. They aren’t paying …you need to get into touch with them. So basically somewhere in the fine print because I was working now…the VA isn’t responsible to pay for the 2 years of school that was promised to me due to an injury sustained while in the US Navy…they were going to pay so I could find a new career…but since I was now working I had chosen a new career.
Disqualified!!!!!! I could not believe what I was hearing! How am I supposed to eat and pay rent while going to school if I can’t work! I still had GI Bill and financial aide but I was going to be paying a lot out of pocket and could not afford to go there anymore on my current budget.
This was the end of the line for college for me. Fortunately, I had learned a thing or two while I was there. I had taken as many different drawing classes as possible and Graphic Software classes all the while putting off much of the basics til a latter date. This was enough to get my foot in The door of some local businesses and acquire a job in their Art Departments over the next few years.
And so that is what I did I worked for a Tradeshow group doing layouts for their marketing banners and did some freelancing every now and then….eventually I ended up at a newspaper publisher building ads and by this time I was sick of doing the behind the desk thing.
I ended up leaving the art field all together and became a garage door mechanic and was doing fairly well in my mind. I was single by now and worked a lot of hours but still managed to find time to draw and paint as a hobby which was my passion. Occasionally, I would do a small commission for someone but hardly ever …however one project I did for a close friend’s parents changed my whole life.
It was a nice landscape in their kitchen area and was rocked in real nicely above the stove. It was a springtime setting like right after a light rain (very peaceful).
They were ecstatic and I was happy to do it. In return, they gave me a bit of cash and also a bonus a newly purchased Airbrush and compressor kit with paint and some basic supplies. “David “…they said. We thought you might be good at this and think you should give this a try.”
And I had messed around with some cheap airbrushes in the Navy (designing company flags in boot camp) but they ran off of a little can of air or CO2 I believe. Very cheap and plastic. This was a nice one and I had never really messed with one like this. I took the gift graciously and went and bought a nice canvas or two to practice with and it came very organically.
I felt the connection immediately and was hooked and sure that this was going to make all the difference in my artistic arsenal. However, I wasn’t sure of what payed in store for me. So, I played with this airbrush for a while and got a few other models as well …I used my friends garage to practice on canvas and became familiar with the water based airbrush paints…did some small jobs here and there for pretty much cost of materials. I also airbrushed a friend’s motorcycle. Looking back now, they weren’t fabulous paintjobs but they were happy and I was learning…. another good friend owned a Bodyshop in Oklahoma so I drove up to see him and tell him I had squired a lil airbrushing skill since we last saw each other and wanted to know if he ever needed any custom paint needs. Being he was into the lowrider trucks and bumping systems scene, he immediately got me going to town on some automobiles, motorcycle helmets, motorcycle tins, and whatever he could do to find me work. So the next couple years I spent driving down there on the weekends working in whatever I could get my hands on and learning all about the automotive paint systems that I could. He was very knowledgeable and had been in the business for years, so I had another good teacher there…not to mention generous. I usually had to crash his couch when I came up from Dallas. Mind you, I wasn’t really making money I was basically building trust with people and building a portfolio up….so I might actually make money someday.
Fast Forward another year probably and by this time I’m engaged to be married and still repairing garage doors but now I’ve built a website with my portfolio. I’ve built the website which started off with 3 pictures I might tell you.
It has and always has grown with project after project and now it’s time to hang up the repairman shirt and get back to my art career things were getting to hard to handle with doing both and I needed to try to make a go at it.
The phone was ringing some ….I decided to go all in and try to live off of my artwork…It’s 2008 and by this time I had been in the Dallas area for 10 years now…almost a decade since I had dropped out of college.
A lot has changed since 2008 although my website is in need of an update …dallasairbrush.com has linked me up with countless projects and professionals from every field I can think of. Some of the opportunities have just amazed me …it’s taking me all over the country to other countries and given me the opportunity to show people and businesses what I can offer them artistically and see their visions out for them. Whether it’s your guitar that you want customized somehow or your motorcycle or possibly you own a dental office and you want the ceiling to look like a beautiful cloud sky or maybe a tropical jungle inside your daycare center or your Church Youth Ministry area painted to look as if it were something out of rain forest cafe …. television commercials, special effects, theatrical production work, photo shoots, interior design whatever it is that your trying to accomplish with an airbrush or multimedia artwork there’s a pretty good chance that I can get you there and on the fast track there. It will stand still, I will paint it and will take pride and offer a quality project.
I’m not your typical business like some might think and maybe some people could be let down by the size of my company when they see it…but they won’t be let down if they become customers.
Basically Dallas Airbrush is a link from the Customer to the Artist if your online and looking for services like I offer…. the website is your link to the artist directly
I don’t use my own shop all the time anymore. I tried that and the overhead is not needed. Don’t expect to just walk into my store front and I will airbrush right there for you on the spot…. I will discuss with you via phone or email about the project. Depending on what is required, I will either do it in my studio or in a paint booth at one of many Bodyshops that I have maintained relationships with over the years…. or on site if it is required. I’m always bouncing all over town doing jobs from one to the next so it’s really senseless to have a shop when I’m never there. Most stuff I can do in my own studio with the exception to anything solvent related. It’s really been nice to be able to stretch out my talents and work a fairly flexible work schedule so I can be around for my kids. At the moment …I’m a one man show and do everything from prep to finish all myself so the care and quality is there. I’m a perfectionist and won’t have it any other way. I love my job and I love the City of Dallas …what a melting pot of opportunities.
I came here with $900 between two people and have managed to make an art career here with little college and a lot of work….this city and its people have has been good to me ….every year is an improvement for the most part.
I’m not making handful of dollars but am steadily trying to put my mark on this industry….and have high hopes for the future of Dallas Airbrush.
I hope to eventually move into producing and director positions to other inspiring artists and expanding my business into new directions…and even more challenging art projects.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Yes there were struggles like any business I suppose…paying dues is never easy.
Dallas Airbrush – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
I do art on many levels but my primary media is the airbrush. The fact that I do a very broad spectrum of projects sets me aside from others.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
Success to me is doing what your passionate about all while providing to your family.
I believe that quality and customer satisfaction is the criteria…I want to exceed expectations and see that WOW factor go through the roof.
Contact Info:
- Website: dallasairbrush.com
- Phone: 214-529-4410
- Email: david@dallasairbrush.com
- Instagram: Dallas Airbrush
- Facebook: Dallas Airbrush
Image Credit:
Wildflower Festival , City of Richardson, Tx
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