GET TO KNOW TIMOTHY MULLIGAN
Where were you born?
Sacramento, California. I now live in Rocklin, CA.
What did you study in school?
In 8th grade a teacher helped me discover that I had an ability to draw and create art. It inspired me to study art in school and graduate with a degree in Fine Art from the California State University, Sacramento.
Did you always want to be an artist?
See answer above.
Are you a full time artist?
Yes. Whether traveling to locations in California with my sketchbook and paintbox, or working out compositions and painting in my studio, I spend most of my days working on my paintings.
How has your style changed over time?
What inspired me to be a painter was learning about the late 1800’s French Impressionist painters; studying their work, reading their letters, and seeing the Impressionism exhibits at the De Young Museum in San Francisco.
In 2011, I started painting the landscape using an Impressionistic style. After working for several months, I began to experiment by adding to my paintings, sections of a more expressive style of painting influenced by the Bay Area Figurative Movement. This expressive style of painting felt more exciting and alive to me, and opened many new avenues to explore. It allowed me to put more of myself into the painting. I began using bold paint strokes, altering the texture of the paint, simplifying shapes, and minimizing the information to clarify my subject. I was also inspired by the hyper-colorful effects of the contemporary Sacramento Valley painters.
Today my paintings combine an expressive paint style with bold planes and heightened colors. They continue to be inspired by real subjects and locations, and are oftentimes built upon compositions with abstract and reimagined forms.
How have the city or cities you’ve lived in affected your art?
I have been so fortunate to have grown up in California and to have studied under such excellent teachers and artists. It has helped to develop who I am as an artist. The California landscape that surrounds me is so interesting and beautiful and the light and colors are so unique. It provides me with so much information when beginning a composition.
Where do you find inspiration?
Landscapes, cityscapes, waterscapes, still life, people, light, shape, form, color, emotion, mood…
How will art save the world?
I’m not sure art will save the world, but it has saved me, in a way. Art challenges me too carefully see the world again in new and exciting ways. Painting allows me to be creative and to express what I see in my own special way.