Gala Tomasso, Artist, Illustrator and Founder of Project Gala
Gala Tomasso was born in Edinburgh and brought up in the new town of Livingston, West Lothian. Gala followed her family and moved to the West of Ireland in 2000, currently settled in Connemara with strong roots in Clare and Galway county.
Her interest and creative development stemmed from encouragement given by her artistic parents from a very young age. This creativity also evolved as a coping mechanism and the need to escape the chaos of a dysfunctional childhood. Gala immersed herself in art-making, drawing, sewing, and modelling.
On completion of an arts degree at the University of Worcester, a Baccalaureate in Fine Art at The Burren College of Art and a Masters in Professional Design Practice from Dublin, she settled in the West and has continued her creative practice.
Gala has worked both in the commercial and fine art domain, producing many commissioned and collaborative projects. Her work can be found in private collections, adorning high-end retail design products and in high profile event visual communication output, as well as books, retail promotional products and educational courseware.
Gala's practice has expanded to include many mediums mixing traditional methods like embroidery and paper with digital drawing and linocut print.
"Having always drawn, my visual diaries are full of illustrations, capturing moments — the little things we might normally oversee.
I 'picture make' emotion when I am developing work creating art as a meditation to calm the busy mind.
Everything has creative energy, and that energy transmutes into the subject matter.
A drawing needs to pull from the character of the object or person or place. Perhaps, pulling from the 'energy' it emits, in order to be valid or plausible.
Places, maps, objects, streets, toys, plants, everything around us has an energy which can be reinterpreted into a drawing, a Lino print or craftwork.
Areas of particular interest are animals, plants, architecture and built spaces, real or imagined."
- Gala Tomasso
She is currently drawing dogs, building images born from feelings of homelessness called 'Creative Real Estate' and doing #100daysofrumi illustrations inspired by Rumi.
Check out Gala Project for more information. #ProjectGala #100DogDrawingsForMadra
Tell us about your current role and what you like about your career and areas of focus.
I am currently focusing on new projects and expanding on old ideas. My practice is primarily illustration, but at the moment I have more time to express ideas which have no remit, which is lovely.
I am working on a series called Creative Real Estate, that releases my frustration on not having a valid place to create, inhabit and feel secure in. It is also a way of manifesting 'Home' and is a combination of driftwood, linocut and epoxy. It is all slightly more sculptural than my usual practice.
The charity fundraising side of my work is really important to me, and I raise funds for Madra Dog rescue in Connemara, the West of Ireland by drawing peoples dogs #100DogDrawingsForMadra. I also work for Madra Dog rescue when possible.
What inspires you, motivates you, helps you to make each day count?
I get really down if I don't have a creative space in my day, and my dogs keep me balanced, happy and exercised.
Outside of your professional work area, what hobbies or interests do you have or what other areas of your life are of real importance to you?
My camper-van gives me great joy, and my animals are my babies. If I could be surrounded by animals all the time, I'd be in danger of becoming a hermit.
When it comes to your life chosen career, is there a phrase, quote or saying that you really like?
"The world is your oyster" comes at me in the most unlikely times, allowing me to appreciate my position of privilege (despite obstacles). By just coming back to this saying I am reminded that I am not in direct provision or forced to flee a war-torn country amongst many other terrible plights.
What are you most proud of in your life?
I recovered from a difficult childhood, I am sober, I went to university when it was previously just a dream, my animals are happy, and I made it through into adulthood. I am blessed really.
What do you wish you had known when you started out?
That's being an artist is actually possible. For many years I believed I was aiming for the moon.
Who do you most admire in business, academic or creative circles?
I admire my sister, who is an artist and an academic (Gianna Tomasso). I also admire businesses who support artists like Coffee Werks and Press Galway and Ard Bia, Galway. There were times when their support kept the wolf from the door. Illustration produced by Adi Gilbert from 99seconds.com inspires, and artists like David Shrigley make me happy.
What companies, brands or institutions do you like or do you think are getting it right?
The vegan market is thankfully growing fast, so anything in the right direction is really great for humanity, and I'm seeing some really cool packaging. I love Mountain road kitchens sauce labels which are just honest, homey and super cute.
What is the best advice you have ever received?
"You don't have to be an artist now you can be one anytime" my art teacher when I was 14yrs.
What drives or motivates you each day in a work environment?
I'm just really hard-working, but I am so thankful for social media where I can share, get feedback and sell.
What are your thoughts on the future of social media?
Optimistically I hope for a maturing, but then I hope for that across society. It can feel like a market place that is a little over-saturated sometimes, and you can never be sure of honesty in many representations. The social media space is a place for the worst and the best of us all.
Artists give away so much of their work to make it what it is. If I could make it work more in my favour, of course, I'd be happy, but sometimes I feel like we are all scrambling for a share.
We will move more and more into this hyper internet space, and I would like it if everyone had a voice, so I hope for a broader sense of community. Sometimes we are drowned out by the celebrity desperados.
There is a huge influx of 'life coaches', and they are starting to annoy me but then it would be nice if there were a revolution of niceness, veganism and spirituality (without elitism or dogma).
What is your favourite social media platform, and why?
I prefer Instagram at the moment, although I would love alternative platforms to sweep this market dominance away. We are just too invested. The art I find on Instagram is mind-blowing, and the sense of 'my' community has been good for me.
Do you have a mentor, or have you ever been a mentor to anyone?
I have a handful of positive voices in my ear cheering me along, but I could really use a mentor as I'm crap with making money sometimes. If I could mentor anyone in the space as a young creative, I definitely would.
How do you network? What is your preferred way to network?
Being an introvert, my community has been with me from my drinking wine at openings and the socialising after 'waitressing work' of days gone by (and I have my online people).
Maybe I really should Network, but I'm not sure what I'd be networking for... "what kind of work do I really want?"I'm an artist, I'd be creating anyway without compromise but yes I do need to fund this expensive creative habit I have, and it's only fully complete when it is shared.
What advice would you have for someone looking to get into the same area of work?
Draw every day, create every day. Don't be perturbed by rejection or opinions because you are the only person that can do what you do.
Maybe network but I'm not sure about that one, but I'd go as far as to say network the hell out of college, courses, openings and youth and then when you are older get as much out of your own company as you can.
What do you feel is the most common reason for people failing or giving up?
If I had listened to most about everybody, I wouldn't be the creator that I am now. People put a monetary value on everything; there's more to it than finance.
How do you define success, and what lessons have you learned so far that you could share with our audience?
Success? Whoa... that's a hard one. I have a few successes everyday, maybe an email or nice comment, a few orders from my website that help pay for the site, a commission or people's confidence in me to do something for them. Raising money for the rescue dogs makes me happy, and that's a success in itself.
What skills do you feel have helped you to become successful?
I haven't given up, I didn't give up, and I won't give up.
Anything else you would like to share with our audience?
Art and creativity will always work wonders for my sanity, sense of optimism and general well being so I highly recommend it.
Is there anything new that you are working on or involved in that you would like to share?
Recent times have led me to question where I have 'space' to create and communicate, so I am trying to work on new ways of pushing creativity and collaborations out into the world.
I am open to new ideas, and I am working on the camper-van studio concept once I can sustain it and we can travel.
