Today we’d like to introduce you to Jimmi Toro.
Hi Jimmi, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I have always been drawing on things, even as a child. The advise I give to younger artists now is to be curious and prolific. You will learn the most by just showing up and creating all of the time. This has served me well and resulted in an evolution of style and medium that now comes from deep within. Early on you may copy and be influenced by so many other great artists, but if you stick with it, you will eventually find your own artistic voice.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Of course not. The career choice to be a full-time artist has always been a huge challenge. Just the data alone suggests this. Often the biggest challenge to an artist is the financial one. It is very difficult to support your career financially for several reasons, and it seems that so many artists are just not blessed with this financial discipline. As an artist I thrive in the chaos and the unknown where I can create from this chaotic pool of inspiration. Financial discipline suffers when you take the same approach to it. It requires order and proven processes which many artists are just not good at. This has been a struggle for sure, though I feel fortunate to have been able to overcome this as well.
Another struggle for many artists is the business of art in general. The sales, marketing, and just running a business when you would rather focus on creating. This becomes a reality to life that actually pays off if you can figure it out. I end up spending about half of my time managing a small business and the other half creating.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
There are different types of artists that for this discussion I would put into two camps. One would be the artist who perfects their style and subject over time and stays on that course for the duration of their career. A landscape artist, for instance, who develops their style, and never changes it. Just the scene changes. The other type of artist is constantly experimenting with different mediums, approaches, subjects, and emotions throughout their career.
I definitely fit into the later category which has it’s challenges as well. How does an artist who is always experimenting with new ideas create a signature or a voice that runs through their art? Once again, being prolific eventually brings out an artists voice over time. I am primarily an oil painter who focuses on human anatomy and emotion. I love to explore an emotion and have my paintings begin there.
I would say that if you focus on what is inside of you rather than what might please the public, you are on the right track. Eventually your unique artistic voice will emerge which has been what I am most proud of. Another interesting observation about this is the fact that savvy art collectors can see this maturity in an artists work as well.
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
Having a unique artistic voice, the time to express it, and the ability to make this your life’s work.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.jimmitoro.com
- Instagram: @jimmitoro
- Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/jimmitoro
- Other: https://jimmitoro.sunstack.com
