I\u2019m originally from Eastbourne and moved to East London at the age of 23.\nI ended up living with Malcolm Livingstone, the famous cartoonist for \u2018Cozmic Comics\u2019\nand \u2018Time Out\u2019 magazine. Malcolm was the person who encouraged me to develop as\nan artist first with clay sculptures and later with paint. Things didn’t go well at first and I recall\nsaying “Sorry Malcolm, I can’t paint. I can only draw” Malcolm looked\nat me and said “Alright Chris, don’t paint then – draw with a paint\nbrush”. After this I never looked back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Where has your art taken you? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019ve travelled the world learning new techniques and skills from\ncultures across Asia, Europe and the Americas. People say they can see these\neclectic influences reflected in my style.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Whilst living in Malibu, California I created story boards, film sets and scenery for Hollywood art director Alan Roderick-Jones. I sold commissions and canvases to various people including Steve McQueen’s wife Ali MacGraw. I guess my favourite memory in the States was getting drunk with jazz legend Miles Davis! <\/p>\n\n\n\n What has life taught you? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019m a huge\nfan and supporter of Prem Rawat, who travels the world speaking to millions of\npeople on the need for and possibility of peace. He\nrecognizes that all people hold within them an inherent thirst to be content,\nand that humanity\u2019s essential desire is for peace. Although we may have lost\ntouch with it, peace is found in the heart of every human being. Prem Rawat\nsees that if enough individuals experience peace, society as a whole will be at\npeace. In this way we are all interconnected. <\/p>\n\n\n\n How did you come to be an IDNet customer? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Quite simply, I was drawn to their message \u2013 Everything Connected. Addition- Chris tells us the story behind his new artwork<\/strong>: The Crossroads<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The artwork depicts Robert Johnson, a famous Mississippi blues musician in the 1930s. There are only three photos of him in existence. He was out of work. He had a guitar that he couldn\u2019t even tune. So he left town. Hit the road. Some say, one dark night, at a crossroads way out of town, he met and cut a deal with the devil. The next that\u2019s known about him, he returned, could play like a demon, sing beautifully and write incredible songs. He died when he was 27.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For more information on Chris or to contact him directly email skweek@lucas-software.co.uk<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" IDNet customer Chris Thomas is a self-taught UK based artist who, after leaving school at 14 overcame a lack of opportunity through dedication and hard work. Tell us a little about your background and how you got into painting. I\u2019m originally from Eastbourne and moved to East London at the age of 23. I ended up living with Malcolm Livingstone, the famous cartoonist for \u2018Cozmic Comics\u2019 and \u2018Time Out\u2019 magazine. Malcolm was the person who encouraged me to develop as an artist first with clay sculptures and later with paint. Things didn’t go well at first and I recall saying “Sorry Malcolm, I can’t paint. I can only draw” Malcolm looked at me and said “Alright Chris, don’t paint then – draw with a paint brush”. After this I never looked back. Where has your art taken you? I\u2019ve travelled the world learning new techniques and skills from cultures across Asia, Europe and the Americas. People say they can see these eclectic influences reflected in my style. Whilst living in Malibu, California I created story boards, film sets and scenery for Hollywood art director Alan Roderick-Jones. I sold commissions and canvases to various people including Steve McQueen’s wife Ali MacGraw. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":391,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-367","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-people"],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/everythingconnected.idnet.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/Club-Miles-Davies-1024x568.jpg\")
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I\u2019m not very clued-up on computers and technology, but I am tuned into what people say and what they do . IDNet\u2019s \u2018Everything Connected\u2019 message can be taken on so many levels. Sure, they connect machines and devices over the internet, but it\u2019s the people, communities and society at large that benefits from connectivity. And on a deeper level, we are all connected. I don\u2019t think it\u2019s by accident that they chose this motto. You can see by their actions like supporting Humanitas and their work in rural areas that doing their bit to make the world a better place is all part of the days work. And, I want to be associated with an ISP like that, rather than a faceless conglomerate. <\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/everythingconnected.idnet.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/EINSTIEN-copy-2-1024x681.jpg\")
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