Today we’d like to introduce you to Wade Thompson.
Wade, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I officially got my start in Austin 2013 after graduating with my BA, studying animation and game design. After all of that, I decided that sitting at a desk all day in front of a computer just isn’t for me, so I took my creativity out into the world. Starting off small with stickers and wheatpaste posters and eventually, I found Castle Hill (HOPE outdoor gallery). Castle Hill, in its later days, had gotten a reputation for being a place that is a free-for-all for tourists and toys to paint whatever they want, but in the earlier days, it was an amazing place full of massive walls covered in beautiful murals that would ride for a while. It’s where I learned to push my art into a larger format and began freehand spraypainting characters, but the greatest part of it all was all the artists and people I have met because of it. It was a Mecca for us in Austin. I place we could all go and paint whatever we wanted whenever we wanted.
We would spend all day out talking and painting. There I met the people in the Blue Dozen Collective and Spratx, both of which I would work closely with for years to come. Like all great things, Castle Hill had its end and from that, I took my work into a professional light picking up gigs but also organizing art shows and events. The greatest of these being the Beat Sessions, a partnership between the Blue Dozen and Spokesman, where we put on every last Monday of the month a live art battle where participants have a chance to win a cash prize. All the while chasing walls and events to paint at all over the country from California to Miami to New York, meeting and connecting with artists in every city. Eventually, my work would pile up to allow me opportunities to participate in Mural festivals, painting at music festivals and even getting to paint a Toyota RAV4 for the US Skateboard finals.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Absolutely not, but I say that with a smile. There should always be challenges. I’ve experienced everything from putting my last $10 in the gas tank to get me to a gig to broken equipment on a huge paying job. Sleeping my car at a job or just not sleeping at all to make a deadline. I’ve had people hate my work and make it a point to let me know that. With all the struggles I have experienced in my art, I believe that is the friction that has kept the fire burning.
We’d love to hear more about your art.
As an artist (F!SH), I use my style and illustrations to convey messages and emotions. I use a number of mediums to do this from digital work (i.e., Procreate, Photoshop, and Illustrator) painting canvas with Acrylic paint or paint larger scale murals with spray paint. If I had to put the finger on a specialty, I’d have to keep it simple and say Illustration. As an artist, the name you chose goes far but your unique style and technique goes even further. I am proud that the style and technique I have developed as an individual is recognizable. I have had people come up and say they saw my piece here or there, a wall or a box truck or whatever. Sometimes I don’t even sign my work with my artist name but still, people can see that it is my work. That is a good feeling.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
There are certainly milestones that are worth mentioning that make me personally proud of myself but in all honesty, the Beat Sessions is at the top. I say that because it’s a pride that isn’t just for me but I share it with my community. Working with Briks and Spokesman to put on an event that the entire city, and state, can come together. We’ve had artists from San Antonio, Houston and Dallas participate, artists from other states have been apart, as well as a number of people overseas. Being involved in such an event that has grown from a seed is more than just pride to me it’s a blessing.
Contact Info:
- Website: manwithpencil.com
- Email: enjoy.westside@gmail.com
- Instagram: @manwithpencil
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/manwithpencil/
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