Introducing Trevor Carlton...

Trawling through Tumblr this week, whilst sheltering from a tropical cyclone,I came across the work of artist Trevor Carlton. I was immediately impressed with not only the subject matter but also the patina of the finish. I love that vintage, slightly worn paint effect to the point that some people who know me quite well just don't understand why I'm attracted to the sort of stuff that most consider tatty or just simply rubbish!

Monte Trevor Carlton was born in 1972 in Olympia, Washington State. Although he took up painting in high school, the first artistic passion that Trevor embraced was acting. He decided to forgo an art scholarship in favor of attending a dramatic arts scholarship at Skagit Valley College.

Trevor next attended the Lee Strasberg Acting Workshop. The following year he relocated to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career. Amidst the chaos of auditions and callbacks, Trevor paid the bills by working in a custom furniture store, specializing in antiquing and faux finish designs.

It was here that a style was born. Using reclaimed lumber as his “canvas”, he started painting images of vintage Americana with subjects ranging from pop icon celebrity to the hey day of jazz.

After numerous gallery shows in Los Angeles and private commissions he has now combined his unique style to that most American of symbols, MICKEY MOUSE. Along with a series of classic lobby card paintings, he has also created a performance piece that has him painting a large canvas of our favorite Disney characters in a matter of minutes.

Find out more about Trevor and his work here.