Inspiration comes from all around us, even as I sat drinking wine with my friend last weekend. We were in the kitchen, I remember looking over at the fridge for some reason (probably for more wine) and there it was, this amazing postcard. I had a million questions for my friend, “Who did that? Where can I find this? Can I have it?” I wasn’t allowed to keep the postcard, but my friend pointed me to the artist’s Instagram and he was nice enough to answer all the questions that I had about his amazing work. So instead of doing a write-up, this Artistry Monday features a short interview with the wonderful artist Tosh Jeffrey:

Who or what inspires your art?

I am a landscape painter that lives in the city, I am also drawn to hip hop culture. I have spent time living overseas in several tropical environments, as such, scenic elements and life experiences fuse together in my work.

How long have you been creating? Also please define your personal style:

I have been creating art for about 12 years. I call my style Abstract Graffiti Expressionism. All of my works are landscapes, sometimes I zoom into minute pieces of that landscape and magnify them onto canvas. The result is a work that often reads as an abstract piece of art.

We love the strong lines mixed with the soft colour, what medium(s) do you use?

I primarily use acrylic paints for my non-representation works, and oil paint for my more traditional landscapes. I recently started using spray paint in some of my pieces as well.

You did “The Art Tour” this past May-June, how was that and how did you get involved?

I was working in the area teaching art. I saw an advertisement that said, ‘Artists wanted’ I ennquired and was selected to take part in a great community exhibition. We have since formed The Art Tour Collective. We work together to spread our passion throughout the city.

Do you feel that there is enough exposure for Toronto/Canadian art?

Yes, I think every community has its cultural hot spots, and I think Toronto is thriving right now. With the new advances in social media and digital platforms, I think we are in an artistic revolution where people are viewing and experiencing more artists with a global perspective. For instance, I go on Instagram for a few minutes a day and the photography and art I witness inspires me to start several paintings before I go to bed.

Your work gives us so many ideas, could you ever see your visuals on something like swimwear or anything else?

Yeah I actually have thought about my art inspiring swimwear. I used to live In Australia and I am a surfer. I love the ocean and the beach, and always pictured my art on things like flip-flops, bikinis, board shorts and beach towels. A lot of my art is inspired by the tropical beach lifestyle, it would seem natural for them to be intertwined. It’s a project that I hope to work on in the future.

Special thanks to Tosh, it was amazing connecting with him!