The Chris Tomlin Interview
Swell Taco is an intersection of the Mexican cuisine, surf culture and local creativity. To highlight that local creativity we want to give everyone a more semi-formal introduction to the creators behind the art adorning the Swell Taco walls. Each is part of the Swell community, part of the local surf community and a true individual whose art reflects the essence of what makes this restaurant so totally unique.
words by John Angiulo
“I personally need a certain percentage of my life to be in the ocean surfing and around it.
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John Angiulo: Where did you grow up?
Chris Tomlin: I grew up in Stony Brook Village and Babylon. My mom lived in stony brook where I went to school and my dad in Babylon where I spent my weekends. so, I was lucky enough to be around two great towns.
JA: When did you start surfing?
CT: Grew up surfing probably around 8 I tried surfing the body board thing, and then eventually graduated to a real surfboard around 10 years. My dad surfed and would push me into waves and coach me how to do it.
JA: What’s your spirit animal?
CT: Harbor seal, they just swim around and look happy like wet golden retrievers.
JA: Do you have a love affair with the ocean? If so how long has it been going on and does your significant other know/ are they jealous?
CT: I have memories of standing at the shoreline watching people surf and having that image burned into my memory. I don’t know how old I was but very young and I told my dad that’s what I want to do. Maybe I was around 5 or 6. I personally need a certain percentage of my life to be in the ocean surfing and around it. It helps me in many ways mentally. It’s taught me lessons that only it possibly could. It can humble you in an instant too on the big days. My wife and kids understand this pretty well which is good for me!
JA: When did you begin creating art?
CT: For as long as I can remember I was drawing and illustrating. I drew so much at home that my mom decided to put me in private classes with an art teacher who had a cool studio in Stony Brook Village. That started when I was about 8 years old and my teacher Judy would show me all the techniques and how to view a subject matter and how to draw it and paint it with acrylics and watercolors. Looking back, those classes helped me a ton.
JA: Who influenced you?
CT: Great artists influenced me my whole life, and there are a bunch of those. When I was young my mom would take me to the Museum of Modern Art, the Guggenheim museum, the Wyeth museum, and others. If I saw something different, and if it drew my interest I definitely took note of it.
JA: What do you think your work is trying to capture or say?
CT: All art is a way of communicating with others. It’s just a different way of looking at things, in a bold way. The colors are vibrant and also heavy contrasting, so it catches your eye a bit more perhaps. But one piece can translate differently from one person to another, and enjoy it the way they see it which is a pretty cool thing about art.
JA: Do you have a piece of work that stands out to you or that you’re most proud of?
CT: They all kind of stand out in their own way, each has their own aesthetic. I enjoy the process of painting, and the end products are just the bonus of it all. The portraits are really fun to do.
JA: All of the artists have been part of the swell crew for a long time. When did you first start coming to swell?
CT: Supporter since day one. Couldn’t wait for them to open their doors.
JA: What do you think makes Swell Taco a special place that we all keep coming back to?
CT: Well, it’s easy. The food is always good. The environment is always relaxed. A great meeting place simply put.
JA: What’s your favorite thing to eat at Swell?
Chris: Jeez, that’s a loaded question. I can order anything off the menu and be well satisfied.
JA: What super power do you believe you have? What super power do you want to have?
CT: No super power here currently, but the closest thing to that would be the ability to perceive, learn, stay grounded and continue your own honest course through life... the power I wish I had? That would be flying.
JA: Can Art and Tacos, together, save the world. If so, how?
CT: Make Swell Taco big enough to fit everyone in it, problem solved.
JA: What would you tell your 20-year-old self if you could communicate back one thing through time?
“Wow. Good question. Stay true to yourself and your beliefs. Life throws has a lot of roads and forks in those roads. Trust you heart and stay the course.”
Creative Question: What animals would take over the earth if humans disappeared?
CT: Well at this point the deer population looks like a good frontrunner. The emperor penguin could be a dark horse.
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