Tom Babbey Member Since October 2013 |
Ever since I was a child, my passions have always been the same; Art, Wildlife, and Fantasy. �As a kid I would explore the lake behind my house in the morning, come home and flip through my brothers� RPG manuals in the afternoon, and then stay up all night and draw creatures of my own creation, based on the animals I saw and the monsters I read about earlier that day. �As I grew older and found my daily activities changing very little, it became obvious that I should pursue a career in fantasy and wildlife art.
My formal art training began in earnest after college, when I started attending the Watts Atelier of the Arts in San Diego, CA. �Both the quality of work and the caliber of the instructors at the Atelier led me to push myself harder in my art than I ever had before, and after several years at the school I was selected to become an instructor. �The welcoming environment of the school and the personal connections and interactions that accompany teaching led me to quickly fall in love with art instruction.
I now reside in San Diego with my wonderful wife, fantastic son and slew of adopted pets. �My days are spent illustrating fantasy work, teaching at the Watts Atelier, running wildlife art workshops, and enjoying the company of my family. �As an avid naturalist, I still find time to explore the outdoors; and as a fan of fantasy and art, I�m still flipping the pages of those RPG manuals and creating my own creatures, forever influenced by my love of nature.
Name: | Tom Babbey |
Joined: | October 2013 |
Projects: | � "The expansive civilizations of mankind are long fallen and forgotten, a victim of their own hubris. �As arcane fallout soaks the land, the centuries and millennia pass by. The world gives rise to new and unique creatures. Magic works in tandem with natural selection, and mana-touched species thrive alongside their natural counterparts. Welcome to the Encroaching Wilds." While "The Encroaching Wilds"�was born from my three passions (Painting, Fantasy settings, and Wildlife),�It�s my love for wildlife�in particular that led me to conceive this project. There�s a certain magic and wonder that exists in our natural world, a magic that I feel is taken for granted far too often. We�re desensitized to just how special a creature�s adaptations for survival can be. I hope, by approaching fantasy creatures and monsters with a naturalist�s eye, that I can bring the viewer to rediscover some of the magic that exists in our own natural world. |