Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Tré. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Tré, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Alright – so having the idea is one thing, but going from idea to execution is where countless people drop the ball. Can you talk to us about your journey from idea to execution?

We live in a 3D world of Dreams, Desire, and Determination. Most Creative Execution requires these main components:

• DREAMS: My inspiration comes from the dreamworld. When creating for others, I just need a song or words to set the stage. Possessing projective and associative forms of synesthesia allows me to see, hear, taste, feel, and experience life in a blended way. Artwork draws itself in my mind, long before any paper is touched.

Melodies cause colorful notes to dance before me. Music video creation became a natural focus for my skills. When Athena Hiotis sent Prism Waves’ MONSTR in my direction, the song placed me inside the set, where I was able to design the video from the inside-out. The art panels moved around me as I replayed the song over-and-over till the last drawing was complete. I call this process Dreamscaping.

Like the waking world, chromesthesia can’t be controlled, except for when I’m asleep. A honed imagination can bring order to chaos. Nightly dreams make me their weaver. Which is why I’m not just a Creative Director, Illustrator, or Writer. I’m a storyteller. It’s no surprise, untold fables have deeply inspired my writing. Like most pursuits, my fantasy novel started with a single dream . . .

Bohowler’s broke free from my unconscious mind in a dizzying whirl of paper and graphite. It all began one fateful morning when I woke up from a lucid dream with the entire seven-book fantasy series in my head. My initial action was sketching out the cover. Each following day, I dedicated four hours to writing. 28 days later, I had the first book completely typed out.

Without dreams, desire is just an impulse.

• DESIRE: Dreams cannot manifest into reality without desire. I couldn’t have written a book in 28 days without the burning desire to share it. The majority of us begin projects with high hopes. You can’t simply want a favorable outcome—you must aim for it. The end of the story is your destination. You have to remain fixed upon the conclusion. Allowing yourself grace, being willing to adapt, and never giving up, will fill the middle of your success story.

• DETERMINATION: No one needed to teach me how to be inspired. But, I had to learn how to use software and camera equipment. Printing and editing were other skills I gained along the way. Running a business also requires a willingness to expand your knowledge base. It’s vital to cultivate the abilities you were not born with. You cannot properly execute an idea, on a professional level, without educating yourself first. Talent is not a golden ticket.

Desire seeks success, and determination keeps you motivated.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

My father said, “You were born with eyes wide open, and didn’t make a sound. When they finally placed you in my arms, all you wanted to do was take everything in.”
Still, to this day, I’m driven by wonder. I’ve always been an artist, ever since I could hold a pen. Portrait art led to photos, and that turned into video. After showing art publicly and crossing over into film, I incorporated my business and trademarked my name. Since then, I’ve found my artistic home amongst a group of truly inspiring artists. It’s still an honor to be a member of the Massurrealist Art Movement, founded by American artist James Seehafer, and endorsed by The Museum For Massurrealist Art (Berlin, Germany). My work is currently exhibited on their website.

Aside from Fine Art, my business career was forged, creating branding content, music videos/storyboards, fashion lines, stories/poetry, and album/book/magazine covers.

Which brings me to one of my favorite client brands, Iron Smoke Whisky. I met the founder, Tommy Brunett, back in 2009, when I was living in NYC, and working with Patricia Field. After seeing my work, he hired me to style and help create a whole new look for his next album, which included shooting promo images in LA. When I visited Tommy in Rochester, NY, he invited me home. That is where I met his incredible family and wife, Jen, who is also a writer. Our meeting changed my life and career in the most beautiful way. They taught me: when you have big dreams and goals, it’s important to surround yourself with supportive, kind, and driven people. Not long after we started working on projects together, he asked me to Creative Direct and co-star in his music video: Witch In The Woods. Then in 2011, Tommy called me, excited with a new concept. The conversation went something like this:

“Tré, you won’t believe what I did!”

“Set your hair on fire again?”

“Ha, no—but close. I put a shot of whiskey in the smoker, and it’s delicious!”

“Whoa! That’s sounds incredible.”

“You have no idea. Looks like I’m going into the whiskey business. I’m calling it Iron Smoke Whiskey. Imagine this tagline: Where there’s smoke, there’s whiskey . . .”

“Well, that’s brilliant, I’m sold!”

“I want to hire you to create a promo image for it.”

“The wheels are already turning—I’m in.”

So, at three in the morning, I assembled an outfit to reflect his branding vision, and hopped in front of the camera. The mock-up was shot within a few minutes. My idea was to create a visual reference before hiring a model and finalizing the concept. But when I showed Tommy the sample proof, he didn’t want to re-shoot it. That’s how I created and shyly ended up one of the main promotional images. Shortly after the original whiskey flavor took off, he asked me to become the face of the Rattlesnake Rosie brand. I’m now on the label for Rattlesnake Rosie’s Apple Pie Whiskey, Pumpkin Pie Whiskey, and Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie Bourbon Cream.

Though I’ve spent most of my life living and working in major cities, I grew up in a very small town in Virginia. My childhood was spent barefoot on farms and running through the apple orchards. This instilled in me a great respect for the land, and the importance of living in tune with nature. The irony of my face ending up on a farm-to-table, locally sourced ingredient-based whiskey, is not lost to me. Lives can come full circle, and Iron Smoke reminds me to never forget where I came from. It’s further proof that you truly don’t know who you’re going to meet and where a path will lead. A singular photo concept could land you on a bottle of whiskey . . . or three.

We’d love to hear about you met your business partner.

Besides running a Creative Direction business, I’ve now co-founded a boutique poetry, art, and fantasy book publishing company called Wolf Twin Books. While the lockdown slowed the world, my imagination kicked into high gear. Like a lot of us, I had to become even more inventive. With my free-time wide open with nowhere to go, I started checking in with friends. Which is where my co-founder, Thomas L. Vaultonburg, emerges.
How we met requires a bit of travel. Let’s fire up the old DeLorean. We’re going back in time:

First off, my default nature is introverted, and I was a painfully timid child. I enjoyed spending time in my own world. Nevertheless, even the most glorious make-believe can become a lonely place. I found myself hoping to make a real friend. Once I was old enough to type, my parents allowed me to open an email account. I found a poetry chatroom within the first ten minutes. Because kids find ways without a map. And guess what? No one was talking about poetry.

Crestfallen, I started posting some of my favorite verses into the void:

“The woods are lovely, dark and deep, but I have promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep, and miles to go before I sleep.”

Eureka! Frost did the trick. A professional poet direct-messaged me. And just like that, my very first Internet friend appeared. Although, he doesn’t realize it, on that day, Thomas L. Vaultonburg also became my first real friend. Turns out, he was also a seasoned publisher and editor. His encouragement made a huge difference in my life. In many ways, he was the mentor I needed to branch out and take my dreams more seriously. He also sent me one of his poetry books and recommended other books to read. I had no idea how important this friendship would one day become.

We periodically kept in touch over the years. Our entire friendship has been online—mainly through email. It’s a marvel we have never met in person, or even spoken on the phone. The lockdown gave us a chance to realize how much we had in common. Both of us defied death through lifesaving surgeries, the same year. Synchronicity is a funny thing. It makes a solid argument for serendipity when two opposing life-paths converge.

In 2021, Thomas devoted his energy to a daily haiku project. Having always wanted to work together, we decided to share a journey through one year of haiku pairings and illustrations, encompassing all twelve phases of the moon. Thus, our book Moonscape Haiku Phase I was born. On each page, a haiku pairing floats beneath an illustration. The poems are presented in the order in which they were written. The best part is: Moonscape is not just a book of poetry, it’s an experience, an art book, a journal, and the call and response of two poets who shared a creative adventure.

This brings us to the advent of Wolf Twin Books. Moonscape is the first installment of our haiku trilogy. Which is only the beginning of our publishing plot. We’ve also partnered with a printer to craft this book with 100lb. high quality, eco-friendly, and archival ink/paper. Our intention is to give every book we publish the same consideration and care.

Have you ever had to pivot?

Did I forget to mention I’m not supposed to be alive? The following pivot is a missing piece to my Bohowler’s journey.
In 2018, my mother rushed me to the ER. I was in horrible pain, unable to swallow or extend my legs out straight. I had no clue that I was dying. It’s hard to know what pain is bad pain when you were born with conditions that cause it chronically. Except this time, organs were being strangled and displaced inside my abdomen by a water melon sized tumor. How did I not know? Well, it was very clever and sneaky. It hid itself better than Waldo.

My only chance of survival was a very risky surgery. But how risky is it, truly? When someone looks at you and says, “You have two options: First, we can make you comfortable. Second, we can try to save your life with a high-risk surgery.” If you’re already dying, it’s no risk at all. It’s a chance. And I took it.

It changed everything. One minute your first fantasy novel is picked up by a publisher, and entering the editing phase, then bam! You’re dying. We’re going to try our best to save you.

Talk about a major pivot. Everything you think is important melts away, and you’re left hoping to fulfill the most basic needs, such as waking up, eating, and breathing.

That is how September 4th became my re-birthday. On operation day, I had zero expectations to survive. I wrote down everything I had left to say, kissed my loved ones, and gambled for the first time.

When I woke up, my first thought and words were, “Am I dead?”

The nurse smiled and said, “No, sweetheart, you’re very alive. Just missing a few pieces you no longer need.”

My second thought was about unfinished business. I could finally acknowledge it, because for some unknown twist of fate and miracle of science, I had been granted another life. When you’re faced with death, you try not to torture yourself with what-ifs. I focused on gratitude and peace. I told myself: I finally found the courage to make friends. I saw the world and was loved. That was enough, right? After a small lifetime of struggle and wonder, I only had one regret. One. I should have published my books!

Recovering from major-surgery is difficult under the best circumstances. When you were born with a cellular and autoimmune disorder, it is a daily gauntlet. I had to fight through health setbacks and flare-ups. Right as I made progress, found a publisher, and was starting the editing process for Bohowler’s, the lockdown began. The printers stopped printing. My unfinished business was going to have to wait a little longer.

Co-creating and illustrating Moonscape was a great way to maintain momentum. It reinforced my desire to not take this bonus life for granted. Time is precious. I fully intend to make the projects I accept count, to support my friends in their endeavors, and never stop dreaming. Oh yeah, and I’m going to publish some really fun books.

Bohowler’s Oil & Glass is slated to release on my birthday, 3.23.23 of next year.

Moonscape Haiku Phase I will be released 02.07.23. on Thomas L. Vaultonburg’s birthday. The first run, limited editions prints, and signed copy options will be available to pre-order one month in advance on Kickstarter. There is a pre-order (notify me) button on the Wolf Twin Book’s website. Type in your email and press it for an exclusive link to reserve a book before the release.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.tregallery.com https://www.wolftwin.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tregallery/ https://www.instagram.com/wolftwinbooks/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wolftwinbooks https://www.facebook.com/thetregallery
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tregallery/
• Other: http://www.massurrealism.org/ https://ironsmokedistillery.com/ https://www.popriotmusic.com/

Image Credits
All images were photographed, created, or illustrated by Tré.