Thomas Flynn II not only creates beautiful art pieces, but deep introspection and emotion among viewers.
He began painting his current series in 2022 right after the release of digital AI. Flynn had gone from making digital collages to painting them, inspiring thought regarding the purpose and actions behind creating art. Flynn spent five days camping in rural Georgia and came out with four paintings and a deeper understanding of inspiration. As a result of his self-imposed residency, Flynn began to see nature and landscapes as collaborators in his work. He started using shadows, natural pigments, water, hills, pine needles, etc. to deepen the meaning behind each elegant art piece. Most of his current bodies of work come from this experience, but with an added layer of emotional depth.
Flynn drew a connection between physical landscapes and psychological landscapes. The natural ridges and valleys compare to the ups and downs of fears and desires, family history, DNA, and emotion. Flynn sees psychological landscapes as abstract and wild just as physical landscapes. He discovered fresh inspiration in the natural world, one that is healing and powerful. With this understanding, he began to see physical landscapes in a different light and his art became even more unique.
Who is Thomas Flynn II
Thomas Flynn II is originally from a small rural town outside of Houston, Texas. He grew up surrounded by nature and cautionary tales that made him wary of the woods. These stories made him resonate strongly with Appalachia folklore after moving to Georgia. He applied the same thought process to Appalachia as he did to psychological landscapes. Digging into your past can be uncomfortable or scary just as exploring deep Appalachian forests would be. It is this fear and consequent bravery that opens up a psychological landscape and allows for real creativity.
The Art of Deeper Meaning
Flynn allows the physical landscape to consume him, thus altering his psychological landscape and producing gorgeous art. The wonderfully unique pieces you’re seeing come from a place of curiosity, thoughtfulness, and growth. Along with nature and mindfulness, Flynn also utilizes the visual auras he experiences with migraines as color palette inspiration. This adds yet another layer of individuality and depth.
The auras began suddenly in 2014 when he was 21 years old. Flynn described this experience as disorienting as he was suddenly seeing all of these colors and did not understand why. The colors would become stronger around light sources and would layer over each other, changing constantly. He began the journey of understanding auras in relation to the world around him. After investigating the temporal element of color theory, he found that certain colors bleed into the distance depending on the kind of atmosphere they’re in. He began thinking about color being set in space as opposed to the visible distance. Flynn used this knowledge to add to the intensity and realism of his art.
On top of his emotionally powerful and insightful brush strokes, Flynn ignites further creativity in his pieces by crafting unique and detailed canvases. He started out by simply working in plain air with flat canvases in local parks. During his residency in Atlanta with the Savannah College of Art and Design Alumni Atelier Program, he was able to use SCAD’s resources generating the carved and layered canvases he uses today. His process has become slightly complicated, but to Flynn the work is well worth it. He begins by creating templates that he then paints onto the wood. After this he will cut out the canvas and adhere it to the multilayered structure, essentially collaging the canvas back together.
Flynn’s Goal
Flynn hopes that his art inspires deep introspection and appreciation for the natural world. He describes how beautiful it is to be caught off guard by how the sunlight shines on the leaves of a tree that has existed for thousands of years. The kind of insight that makes you stop mid sentence and be reminded of the things that really matter in life. He creates his art to inspire the same feeling. He wishes viewers would be reminded of who they are and be transported somewhere deeper and more meaningful. Any artist who is willing to put in this amount of work and think deeply about every aspect of their art is one worth viewing.
Flynn is currently starting his MFA program at GSU and mentions that Atlanta can look forward to new experimental pieces as he works through a myriad of ideas at a rapid pace. You can also view Flynn’s art on his website www.thomasflynnii.com/collect as well as through ABV Gallery in Atlanta.
Website: www.thomasflynnii.com/collect
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thomasflynnii/
ABV Gallery: @abvgallery
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