TJ Walsh
Untitled
2015
Crayons and paint pens, acrylic
14" x 11"

About the Work
Words like improvisation make believe, invention, whimsy, and intuition are words that have been used to describe my work. My work reflects an investigation into what it means to make marks on a surface to convey emotion. It is informed by many hours of listening to people share their stories of transition or struggle with me in the therapy room. The immediacy of mark making is therapeutic and healing. Making marks and pushing paint is about breaking through the noise of life to unearth the conversation beneath.

I care very deeply about all the formal elements of art and how they come together in a composition, but the subject matter of my work I leave to the process of painting, and start each and every one by making something out of nothing. I am an intuitive painter who relies on a process that is visually directed and which leads to the finished piece. I have no idea of the painting I am about to start, and until the very last moment of conviction, have no certainty that it will remain in the form that is in front of me. Through a very long series of moves--changes, cancellations and additions--an idea unfolds. It is an exhausting process, but it keeps a forward moving momentum to my work. There is a certain level of ambiguity in the work, allowing the viewer to interpret the content or meaning. I believe this is the best way for me to arrive at authenticity. When I respond viscerally then I know I am moving in the right direction. I am searching for a psychic energy and trying to make sense out of something enigmatic, organizing bits of dreams, memory, imagination, worldly concerns and ethereal elements. In the end, I hope it is about an unseen essence and an existential beauty.

Bio
TJ Walsh, BFA, MA (b. 1985) is a: Artist, Psychotherapist, and Higher Education Administrator in Philadelphia.

TJ received his BFA from the University of the Arts, Philadelphia. Received his MA in Counseling Psychology at Eastern University, Saint Davids, PA.

Prior to his work in higher education administration and mental health, Walsh was a Creative Director and Director of Communications for several national and international nonprofit organizations. He has professional experience in brand development, corporate communications, non-profit marketing, social media engagement, fundraising communications, project management, and strategic planning.

TJ's work as a painter has garnered acclaim at home in the Philadelphia region as well as across the country and overseas.

Walsh writes and speaks on the topics of art, culture, faith & mental health. His work is exhibited and published internationally.

Buyer assumes all S&H costs.

InLiquid, www.tjwalshartist.com