J. Tommy Midyette

I specialize in painting portraits of people, pets, horses, houses and beyond. These paintings are done using oils, pastels (dry chalk), charcoal & ink. Photos are used as a reference. Occasionally, I produce art which isn't portraiture.

"Dare" - 36 x 30 - Oil

"Merrick" - 24 x 20 - Pastel

I've always enjoyed being creative. In fact, I can't remember a time when I wasn't drawing, painting, or making music. The arts have always moved me emotionally. My family moved to Raleigh when I was 5 so I consider myself a Raleigh native. I took 3 years of art at Sanderson High School under the instruction of Bob Rankin, but didn't realize I would become a portrait painter one day. I guess I should have known because I was producing art on the side which usually included famous faces. I went to UNC Chapel Hill for 3 semesters before deciding that I should transfer and study graphic design at NCSU. I received my bachelors degree there and I use a lot of graphic design principles in my paintings. I attend portrait painting seminars, read art books, and talk to other artists in order to stay informed about painting.

My portrait painting business began in 1987. Without the help of an art agent who would want a 50% commission, my business has grown and I’ve been able to keep my prices reasonable. Now, I’m painting all age groups of people in addition to dogs, cats, horses, houses, boats etc. Late in my career, I started painting landscapes. These landscapes have been shown in many art galleries across NC. Also, you may spot me at festivals from time to time. Usually, artists’ work has to be accepted and approved by jurors before he/she can become a festival vendor. I have been allowed to show my portraits/landscapes at the Cary Lazy Days Festival, Artsplosure in Raleigh, and the Wake Forest Autumn Arts Festival to name a few. Duke University hired me to decorate the interior of 3 campus restaurants. Primarily, they were interested in seeing what kind of murals I could paint on the walls. I was paid for the sketches and now I am waiting for Duke to pay to have the murals done. Their donations are down during this recession so I am on hold. But, I have painted a few murals in past years. I did 2 for BFI Recycling Company of Raleigh. Wildwood Green Golf Club hired me to do a painting of Hole #12 for a golf tournament. I’ve done illustrations for a greeting card company and for the NC Opera. I did artwork for a movie director in Hollywood, CA. He was hoping to convince the movie studio to let him direct the movie, "Hotel For Dogs." Lastly, I still do freelance graphic design work and I am taking classes in artistic computer software to this day.

I want to continue learning about and creating portraits that are as well-composed and beautiful as I can make them. I don’t think it’s enough to just achieve a likeness of a subject; I’ve got to make them look good. Some of my customers like my abstract portraits, too. They are more modern, of course, than traditional portraiture, but they still appeal to my graphic design side. The viewer can tell who the subject is without so much detail and the colors are bold.

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