Meet Adam Thomas of The Art of Adam Thomas in Andersonville

Today we’d like to introduce you to Adam Thomas.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Some kids are good at math, some kids can run really fast, I was the freak that could take pastel pencils and create a photo-realistic portrait of a possum family at age 15. That is when I won first place in the Cranbrook Wildlife Art Competition for the state of Michigan. I was up against kids as old as 18. After that I received a huge scholarship to the Center For Creative Studies in Detroit where I attended college for a year and a half, only to drop out due to lack of funds and poor money management. For the next 8 years I would work low-paying jobs until I landed in corporate marketing in Phoenix, running tradeshows and events. I worked my way up the ladder until I ran my own marketing department only to be laid off after 9/11. Working a few temporary jobs after that, I never achieved the level I once had and became very depressed and angry. However, during this very dark time I had a very small pastel pet portrait business to bring in extra cash from family and friends that helped pay the bills. To make a longer story short, I went back to college to get a degree in Business and Marketing. While taking night courses I met a VP in Marketing who would later hire me back into a decent-paying manager position with an office. I worked for her for two weeks and quit on the spot.

At 9 am, on what would be my last day working in the corporate world, I shut the door to my new office and basically had a crazy out-of-body conversation with myself. I saw myself sitting across my desk in the chair and saying to me, “Are you ready to do this? This can’t be your life anymore.” I replied, “It is time” and went to HR. I handed in my key and said that I had made a huge mistake by taking this job and drove home. At 10am on that same day, my roommate was surprised to see me home. He asked what I was gonna do now and I said, “Watch!” I called my best friend, Brooks, who worked at a local TV station, and asked for a big favor. I wanted him to pitch a story to the producer of Good Morning Arizona about an artist who does photo-realistic pet portraits who would bring his clients with their pets on their show. That way, the viewers could actually see how he had captured the essence of the animals in his art. A week after my first of what would be many TV appearances, I was sitting on the sofa of a new client, who happened to be a famous rock star, watching American Idol for the first time, thinking that my new life has just begun. This must be a sign that I made the right decision.

Even though I was on morning television several times, had articles in several magazines, and used my marketing know-how to the best of my abilities, I still couldn’t pay the bills. That didn’t happen until I randomly met a professional painter who said that if I wanted to make better money, I needed to learn how to paint and get into galleries. It was October of 2004 that I purchased a set of paints, a bunch of canvas, and began painting clouds and trees. In February of 2005, the emerging artist gallery Art One took my first few 60″ x 48″ paintings and I was suddenly a gallery artist after only painting for a few months. As the seasoned marketing professional I was, I sent out a newsletter to my database announcing the event and that aforementioned rock star, who was actually a big client of the gallery, went in and purchased my first painting.

For the next 3 years living in Phoenix, I made a humble living as an artist showing in galleries, restaurants, and even my own “home gallery” (after putting all of my furniture in the back yard). My first big solo show was at a restaurant called Zest, where over 150 people attended the opening reception and I sold 14 paintings in the three months my art was hanging there. Life was great! Until the recession began.

At the end of 2007, nobody was buying art! I thought I had saturated the market. So I found a buyer for my house and followed my old friend Brooks to Atlanta. A day before closing, the housing market crashed and the buyers lost their funding. I had been living in Atlanta for a month, sleeping on Brooks’ sofa, and was suddenly completely broke with maxed-out credit cards. I did everything I could to sell my art, but we were in the middle of the recession and I could barely make any money. I worked a few horrible temp jobs while still trying to paint on my days off in a studio I was bartering web management for. I was hired as a laborer for a showroom company making $20 an hour with one day off a month. Three months after being hired, while working in Las Vegas, I broke my neck on the job. After getting workman’s comp for a year, I received a $60,000 settlement, of which I was able to keep half. Even though the money made from this horrible accident paid off all of my debt and helped me get on my feet, I still to this day have neck pain with limited movement.

The rest of my story isn’t so traumatic. I met my husband in January of 2010 and moved back to rural Michigan, where I painted in our basement. While living there, I did a lot of business in Chicago. We finally moved there two years later and my career started to thrive. Since then, art rep Daniel Kinkade has gotten my work into Traditional Home Magazine twice, as well as 7 permanent installations in Nordstrom stores across North America. The first gallery in Chicago that gave me a chance, Leigh Gallery in Boystown, rented/sold my art to a few TV shows like STARZ’ “Boss” and NBC’s “Chicago Fire.” Along with those shows, my art has also been seen a few times on HGTV’s “Celebrities At Home.”

Today, I have my own studio in North Center and live in Andersonville with my husband. I had a solo show in Nashville at a very reputable gallery last year and currently show in Saugatuck, MI, Marietta, GA, Provincetown, MA, and the Merchandise Mart in downtown Chicago. I work with many interior designers across the country and have become one of Daniel Kinkade’s core artists. I have to say: I love being an artist!

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
The recession was the worst years of my life.

The Art of Adam Thomas – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
I have three series that I promote:
1. Abstract with oil and wax on panel
2. Birds painted on vintage sheet music
3. Black and white clouds

I am an artist making a living selling my work through galleries, art reps, interior designers, and direct from my studio. I am known for the three series listed above. Many people know my giant abstract paintings that are hanging in Nordstrom on Michigan Avenue, while others know me by my bird painting from Traditional Home Magazine.

I am very proud to know that my art brings joy and happiness to people every day. I am also grateful that I never gave up and that I have grown to be recognized as a successful artist today.

I know how to market and network. I love painting and creating in the studio, but at the end of the day, I am a business man. I listen to my clients, meet deadlines, and am loyal to my partners (galleries, art reps, designers). Some artists go to meetings in tennis shoes and a ripped-up shirt, while I dress the part as someone successful, who is worthy of the price tag associated with my art. I guess it is from all of those years working in corporate America. Branding is very important. Even for an artist.

What is “success” or “successful” for you?
If you have a roof over your head, pay the bills, spend time with friends, and have an occasional vacation by making art, then you are a success. The rest is just “stuff.”

Contact Info:

• Address: 1702 W. Summerdale Unit 1
  Chicago, IL
  60640
• Website: www.adam-thomas.com
• Phone: 6025490405
• Email: adam@adam-thomas.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/artistadamjt/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook/theartofadamthomas
• Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/artistadamt/

Getting in touch: VoyageChicago is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.