Meet Thomas Avinger of Art by mravinger
Hey y’all, I first got into art through drawing and painting with my grandmother when I was young. Since then I’ve studied fine arts at Texas Tech and The University of Houston. I wanted to share my love of at with others so I became a teacher. I taught elementary art for seven years and I’ve taught high school for the last three. It has been an amazing journey sharing my love of pop culture, drawing, painting and digital art with my students.
Self doubt was a large detriment to my work for a long time, but I finally decided to stop waiting and start creating. Working on my craft and painting what I’m into in the moment while trying to grab or define a style has been challenging. I have been fortunate recently with media coverage showcasing both my love for Houston and trying to paint in a style that brings my truth of the city to life.
No i’m fortunate enough to be able to sell and share art that I have created with others as well. I have an Etsy and personal page set up for commissions. I am mostly known for my impressionist style paintings of Houston-centric subjects and pop culture figures.
I feel successful when I am happy with my work. That has been more and more common the more I work. i’m always trying to improve and pick up new influences that speak to me. Hopefully I can be that inspiration for others eventually as well. But success and validation are two different things. I feel validated when I am able to sell enough work to pay the bills.
