Interview with Toad

Hi, Can you introduce yourself for us? (Where you from etc...)

Born 1982, and raised in the North East of England, I went on to live in Holland, then Sheffield and London. I’m now based in Newcastle….temporarily. I work under the name Toad - its been with me since I was about ten, for reasons that not many people know…







What's your background? Art school? Self learner? Art for Dummies?

My drawing and painting skills are self taught, from a young age. My father’s a conceptual artist & my grandfather was an illustrator so this probably helped, My Grandfathers best war story was the trouble he got into for painting lifesize naked women on an Palestinian wall during WW2.

I completed a 2 year Art and Design Foundation course (mainly 3d design/sculpture) and went on to get a First Class Honours in Graphic Design.







How will you describe your art for somebody who doesn't know your stuff?

My recent works are a fusion of ‘traditional fine art’ and ‘urban’ techniques. They are figurative and slightly abstract with a strong sense of movement and an interesting mix of surface textures. I strive to get the narrative, character or concept balanced with technique and aesthetics. To me, the pieces work on a few different levels and I’m increasingly trying to leave these open to interpretation.







What are your favourite materials to work with?

Charcoal and spraypaint are definitely my favourite at the minute. I love the simplicity of charcoal on paper (both materials coming from the same source) and the strength and versatility of spray and am really looking forward to seeing where this combination can go. I’m hoping to introduce oil’s into the mix but that will be further down the line.







How long does it take you to produce a piece? Do you start out with a sketchbook or do you freehand all the way?

Tricky Question. Obviously it varies from piece to piece, and with the drawing based work there is no rushing it! I don’t really use a sketchbook, most of the time is spent thinking pieces through, sourcing images / trawling through photographs etc, then I mock it up digitally and work straight into the final piece. In a way everything I produce is a work in progress, so all pieces are sketches…







Where do you get your inspiration from?

Everywhere and anywhere. A lot of it comes from music. There is an incredible amount of new music that is crossing genres, ideas and styles and I try to put elements of this into a visual context. As well as that I try to see as many new shows and artworks as possible, read as many (decent) magazines as I have time to and keep up to date on underground and emerging events and trends. Lastly, of course, there is nothing more fascinating than life and people!



Do you paint/draw/work outside sometimes? Where can we see your stuff?

I’ve done a few live paints, when my work was more strongly stencil based, but regarding street work - I have learned from my earlier years that is best to keep out of trouble so now I’m steering in a new direction.







Who influence you the most, any favourite artist(s)?

The people I choose to spend time with are generally the ones who influence me the most, and regarding artists, in no particular order, here are some that I like and respect - WK Interact, Nick Devereux, Charming Baker, Fiona Rae, Ryohei Hase, Hush, Ian Francis, Frank Aubech, Connor Harrington, JR, Herakut, Duchamp, Anselm Reyle, Will Cotton, Bast, Lister, Gordon Cheung, Antony Micallef, Polly Morgan, Claire Morgan, Stanley Spencer, Francis Bacon, Nathan James…







Living as an artist is sometimes difficult financially, any part time job?

I take on graphic design jobs if something particularly interesting is offered. I’m currently working with an artist on a collage based graphic novel/story that should be really interesting. Drawing and painting is always my number one priority and the closer I get to never having to work a 9-5 the happier I am!



What do you think of the current "Street Art" movement?

Very exciting and interesting. Of course, it’s a mixed bag, but there is enough great work being produced to keep me very interested. I’m looking forward to seeing where it will go from here.







Best Gallery in the world? and why?

The world







Beer and Fag or Tea and Biscuit?

Coffee please, 2 sugars



What are your plans in the near future? Any upcoming exhibitions?

Party hard and work harder. For the immediate future I’m going to immerse myself in producing some of the best work possible, and when I’m happy with it I will evaluate my options.



You can see Toad's work at http://www.flickr.com/photos/le-vol/