I am Christopher Thomas, a trippy surreal space artist from the Pacific Northwest. I am a Seattle native, having grown up around the Renton area until coming to the University District for school. The world around me constantly inspires me, whether in nature or architecture. Much of my early work consisted of landscape paintings based on locales around Seattle, but that quickly evolved as I explored my creativity.

As an artist, I strive to broaden the imagination of others by exploring my own. Through my acrylic paintings, I express the desire to travel to impossible places inspired by science-fiction and fantasy. I invite those who look at my paintings to delve into their minds and break the mold that reality has placed on them, so that they may see worlds beyond their own.

Q: How would you explain what surreal space artwork is?

I label my style as surreal space artwork, because of the art that has inspired me. I have always loved surrealist artists like Salvador Dali, Rene Magritte, and Frida Kahlo.

The famous Andre Breton once said, in his 1924 Manifeste du Surrealisme, “[Surrealism is] pure psychic automatism, by which it is intended to express, the real process of thought. It is the dictation of thought, free from any control by the reason and of any aesthetic or moral preoccupation.”

The "space" part comes along because I am an avid fan of science fiction and retro-futurism.

I like to combine the surrealist ideal with the infinite imagination of space.

Q: Do you like to travel to places, before painting them? Is there any place that you traveled to and decided you did not want to paint it? Is there a favorite place, that you have gone to?

There are a lot of instances where I will travel to a location and be inspired to paint it. Since I live in Washington State, there is always tons of inspiration for my landscape paintings, whether that be mountains, trees, lakes, and more. I also travel to Utah a lot to visit family and tend to get a lot of influence from the alien landscape of the many National Parks that exist in that state. Recently, I traveled to Bryce Canyon and was awestruck by the rock formations. I remember seeing tall trees growing in tight spaces among the canyons. It was absolutely beautiful, and I foresee many paintings inspired by my experience.

Q: What made you think to add fictional elements to a nonfictional place?

My imagination is incredibly active. When I look at a normal landscape, I find myself placing objects and beings there in my head, that do not exist in real life. The same goes for my paintings. A lot of times I will start with a general landscape or space scene and just go wild from there, adding little details and objects that might not normally correlate with that scene.

Q: What is your favorite fictional element to add to your pieces?

One of my favorite fictional elements that I add to my pieces is figures, usually humanoid figures, that are moving or standing in the scene. They can be people, aliens, astronauts, Vikings - you name it. These figures are there to tell a story, whether it's their own story or one they are simply stumbling upon.

Q: If one of your fans was interested in buying a piece of artwork or asked you to create something, how can they go about doing this?

For those who are interested in buying an original piece of mine, or any of my prints, they can visit my website artofchristhomas.com. I also have limited slots each month that I accept custom work or commissions. All that info is available on my website, as well as my Instagram.

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Q: What are three things that you need within your workspace? Why do you need these items?

The three things I need most in my studio are; Coffee (an absolute MUST), canvasses, and paint. That is all I need, as I have plenty of paintbrushes (and my hands) to create my paintings with.

Q: What made you decide on acrylic paint, compared to other kinds of paint like watercolor?

Acrylic paint has always been my go-to. I do occasionally use oils and gouache, but not very often. I like acrylics because of the quick dry time. Many people who specialize in oil will use that exact reason to say why they dislike acrylics. For me, it is nice to be able to put down a layer and have it dry quickly so I can keep on adding more layers. A lot of times, this allows me to finish smaller pieces in a single sitting, rather than drawn out over several.

Q: How many bottles of paint do you think you own in your workspace? Is there any specific color or brand you gravitate to most?

I have honestly lost count of how many bottles of paint I have in my studio. I would estimate somewhere in the 100-200 range if not more. I tend to gravitate more toward craft-style acrylics, specifically the ones from the Top Notch and Apple Barrel brands. However, lately, I have been using a lot of Hippie Crafter acrylics, since they seem to be much more vibrant and glossier than more normal paint.

Q: How do you balance your work life when having a newborn? Congratulations!

Thank you!

Being a full-time stay-at-home father and a full-time artist can be super stressful sometimes, but it is so worth it. I dedicate my weekdays to my daughter, Juniper, while my wife is at work, and focus on my art in the evenings and weekends. Sometimes I can do small things, such as packaging orders or replying to emails and DMs during the day, but generally, I save all my art-related stuff for when my wife is home to help with the baby.

Q: Where can fans view your artwork, besides social media? Do you have any installations coming up?

There is always my website to view my artwork, although I do not post all of my art there. Currently, I have my art up at several places. There is The Pizza Gallery in Burien, WA that has a couple of my acrylic paintings on pizza boxes. In Seattle, I have several paintings up at Douglass Prosthetics & Orthotics, which is located in the Northgate neighborhood. I also had my art up at Verity Credit Union for the months of April-May.

I also vend my art at art fairs, from time to time.

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Trippy Surreal Space Art with Christopher Thomas

Justice- One Night/All Night Ft. Tame Impala

Kid Cudi: INSANO