Tom Bagshaw

An artist who puts a story behind his art and is even more interested in the viewer’s take

Although Tom Bagshaw shuns the idea that he has a style – “honestly,” he says, “I’ve never really thought about it” – there’s a unique line of thought that runs through his paintings. His influences include religion, the occult, folklore and broader fantasy, and the idea of the story: his paintings often begin with a narrative behind them.

However, he insists, “It’s always far more interesting to hear the viewer’s interpretations of what I paint. I’ve had quite a few occasions where other people have come up with far better stories for my work than mine!”

The wider community is important to Tom, and he feels it brings people together. But he points out that there are still certain barriers to be breached. In early 2015 Tom contributed to the Dreamlands show featuring edgy modern art at CHG Circa gallery in Culver City, California. “There’s still a barrier between the fine art/collector’s market and how digital art is viewed,” Tom says. “Digital art isn’t really an issue if it’s in the context of advertising, publishing, editorial illustration and so on, but once you cross into that fine art market then galleries and collectors, even other artists, still have an issue with digital. It’s getting better with time, but is still very much a problem any digital artist faces.”

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Artist tip

Be ready for ideas

“Ideas pop into your head at odd times, like when you’re actually working on another piece. Having a notebook to hand enables me to quickly jot it down, along with a quick scribble, so I can come back to it later. It’s all these little notes that help to shape future works.”