Through the sponsorship of the “Power of Free” festival I have been introduced to a handful of great local artists, many of them are very well established in the Denver art world and others who are up and coming. One of the artists who I was introduced to was Tom Bond, a Colorado native who’s constant lure to the outdoors, culture and snowboarding is expressed in so many of his pieces. I was drawn to Tom’s use of hard line, organic textures and his custom shoe designs. Tom was kind enough to do a quick interview with me to give us more insight into his work and aspirations as an artist.

-So what are your biggest influences? Most of my art is really about trying to make sense of myself and my own existence, so a lot of it just comes from personal feelings/emotions, thoughts, and an ongoing internal dialogue.  I am definitely influenced by a lot of external elements and amazing people too though, and the things I look at, listen to, do, or read, obviously have a lot to do with shaping the things that I think about.  These are far too many to list I’m sure, but here are a few of those along with some of the artists who have influenced my work: Dr. Seuss, Sartre, Mom & Dad, Ralph Steadman, Basquiat, travel, Barry McGee, all of my friends, Don Yanacito, Tom Waits, Jack Kerouac, travel, animals, whiskey, trees, riding bikes, travel, M.C. Escher, Scot LeFavor, Alvin Gregorio, art school, Shel Silverstein, snow, Carlo Crivelli, city lights, exploration, adventure, conversation, and… travel.

Aspirations - Tom Bond

- How did you get into the fine arts? Art, I guess, was always something I kind of enjoyed.  I liked drawing as a kid.  My Grandma was also an abstract painter when she was younger, so I remember always being around art, especially at my grandparent’s house.  I didn’t take art at all seriously or even think of it as something more than a way to kill some time until college I think.  I started college as a film major, and then learned about a lot of experimental film-makers that were also accomplished painters or sculptors.  At the same time, I was getting interested in a lot of street artists.  I decided to get back into painting a bit, and really just fell in love.  I think I just sort of prefer the individual creative expression that painting allows, as opposed to the necessity of involving a crew (not to mention a budget) in order to accomplish certain things in film-making. – Favorite medium? Right now, I’m using mostly acrylic paint and spray paint, with a few other things thrown in here or there. – What’s the story with those slip on shoes you designed? Ah yes, people seem to like the shoes…  There’s really no story.  A friend of mine who knew my art already just asked me one day if I’d paint a pair of vans for her.  I did, and she loved them, and apparently so did a lot of other people.  I got a lot of attention and feedback from those and I ended up doing another pair later for another friend, and they got a good response too.  I think it’s just something about wearable art that people seem to respond to.  Maybe it’s just more relatable to some people. – Where can you pick up a pair? Well they’re just one-off hand painted canvas shoes.  Honestly they’re not my favorite things to do, but it can be a nice change once in a while to work on something that’s not just a flat surface.  You won’t find them for sale anywhere, but if anyone wants to commission a pair, I’m always up for projects like that.  Just get in contact with me and we can work something out. – Are you a Colorado native? If not, how did you end up here? Technically I’m not, I was born in LA, but I’ve lived in Colorado since I was about two, and both of my parents are Colorado natives.  I grew up in Denver, and went to college at CU Boulder. – Outside of art, what are your other activities, passions, ambitions, etc. Well growing up in Colorado, I’m of course a big fan of outdoor activities, especially snowboarding.  My parents had me skiing by three years old.  I switched to snowboarding at about nine, and have been doing it ever since.  Probably my biggest passion though, and what I wish I could do constantly, is traveling.  I was fortunate enough to spend a semester of college living and studying art in London, England.  I met a ton of great people and also got the chance to travel around Europe a bit.  Ever since that experience, I’ve been hooked.  I really enjoy adjusting to life in different social and cultural environments and just realizing how much is out there to see.  I don’t think there’s any way to learn as much about the world, and yourself, as you can by visiting and living in really different places from what you’re used to.

Thanks Tom, we’re excited to have you be a part of The Produce!

Tom’s first shirt will be released this Saturday during the Power of Free festival at Casselman’s Bar and Venue. Click here for more details.

Over the past 3 years I’ve gotten to know Brandon pretty well and i’ve also grown to appreciate his creativity in all aspects of life. As a snowboarder, mountainboarder, BMX bandit, psychologist, music fiend and photographer he appears to be transient in nature yet he’s very dedicated and has love for so many things. When I first told Brandon about The Produce and what we were looking to achieve he was extremely excited about the idea, and from then on he was throwing his own ideas at me. A month or so back I humored him and heard out one of his ideas, as he suggested I take a look at some of his black and white photos, to my surprise I found myself falling in love with a lot of the subjects and overall concepts. Now we’d like to share Brandon Johanns photos with you. Enjoy.

I’ve been working with Chris Adams for the last 3 week on his first shirt. The process has been a lot of fun but we still haven’t made a final decision on what direction to go. Here is a peek at what we’ve been doing.