Today we’d like to introduce you to Tom Matousek.

Hi Tom, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?

My father talked me out of pursuing art as a career when I was a child so I never did. Honestly, It was sound advice and I never held it against him, but I wandered for years and I really didn’t have much focus on anything. I ended up working retail in the snowboard industry but I was always an artist. Always creating. Nothing professional though. My wife and I had a daughter in ‘96 and I began to paint murals for her when we purchased our first home in ‘99. I started a mural business soon afterwards but it was always just a part time thing. In 2008 my buddy/pastor was working on his doctorate of divinity and his thesis was using art as a form of worship and he asked me to create a painting for one of his sermons. I did an abstract interpretation of one of his poems and then wondered if I could use shapes to create a recognizable face. At this time I realized that I didn’t want to eventually be on my deathbed wondering what may have happened If had put in an honest effort, so I really committed to it. I began waking up early every morning to paint before work. I posted everything I was working on and eventually a large corporation invited me to be their artist in residence. they sent me around the country to create community art projects based on my style. Through one of those events I met someone that had ties to Disney and she introduced me to someone that really liked my work. We became friends and she showed my work to the CEO of Disney Fine Art, the official publisher of Disney art. In 2016 I became an officially licensed Disney fine artist.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?

It’s never been a smooth road. I’m fortunate to have such a supportive wife, I wouldn’t be able to do this without her. The biggest obstacle was overcoming myself, getting committed and sticking with it. We all tell ourselves “Someday I’ll learn to play the guitar or the piano or learn to quilt or whatever.” But we need to be able to look at ourselves in the mirror at the end of the day and ask “Are we making excuses?” When I was first starting on this journey I told my brother that I think I might be onto something but there aren’t enough hours in a day. He said “There are enough hours, you just have to find them.” I found those hours in the early morning. I didn’t want to get up to paint at 4am but once I was up and created a habit, it became a very spiritual time of day for me.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?

Many people refer to my style as cubism but it really is more abstract Impressionism. For the most part, Disney has two rules in becoming one of their artists. They have to have never seen it before (style) and they have to love it. I was at a show with a bunch of other Disney artists and one of them mentioned that I’m the only one that doesn’t need to sign my work, they all know who painted it. It was a huge compliment to me. While I built a reputation as a portrait painter, it is my work with Disney that I am most known for. Club 33 is one of the most exclusive clubs in the world and is considered the Holy Grail of Disneyland experiences if you are fortunate enough to ever get through the door. In 2022 the club celebrated its 55th anniversary and I was commissioned by them to create their anniversary piece. It was the honor of a lifetime. Outside of Disney, a few years ago the House of Representatives and Senate, along with the Frederick Douglass Foundation launched a 2 year, bicentennial celebration honoring Mr. Douglass’s birthday. When they saw my painting of him I was asked if they could use it as the official logo for the celebration. That was a pretty big deal too that I am very proud of.

Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?

I am regularly asked at events if I have any advice for budding artists. I think it’s important to remember that prosperity comes in many flavors, sorta like Baskin Robbin’s ice cream. I know many people that have a lot of money but they can’t stand the idea of setting foot in their office one more day. I think it’s important to never compare ourselves to others, however it is ok to be inspired by them. For anyone that is interested, a short documentary was made highlighting my journey. It is called “Midlife Creativity” and it can be found on You Tube