Thomas Flynn II
Atlanta, GA
Thomas Flynn II (b.1994) is a painter living and working in Atlanta, Georgia whose work is rooted in the forests of the South Eastern United States.
Message
Thomas Flynn II (b. 1994) is a painter based in Atlanta, Georgia, originally from small-town Texas. His work explores the mystical and emotional presence of the forested South, using nature, color, and perceived light to capture fleeting moments of wonder and reflection. Working between studio and plein air settings, Flynn’s layered, gestural approach reflects his deep connection to the land and an evolving dialogue with the natural world.
Flynn earned his B.F.A. in Painting with a minor in Art History from the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) in 2016, graduating magna cum laude. In 2024, he was selected for the prestigious SCAD Alumni Atelier program and has previously served as a mentor with SCAD’s Painting Department. His work has been acquired by notable collections including Canva’s U.S. Headquarters, the SCAD Permanent Collection, and the City of Atlanta, and has been featured in publications such as Friend of the Artist (Vol. 18), New Visionary Magazine, and Red Branch Review.
Flynn has exhibited widely in both solo and group shows across the United States, with recent highlights including ArtFields in South Carolina, Swan Coach House Gallery in Atlanta, and a major 50-work solo exhibition, To Catch the Sun Dreaming, at Vaughn Gallery in Austin, TX. His exhibition record spans leading artist-run spaces, university galleries, and contemporary art institutions throughout Georgia, Texas, and the Southeast.
In addition to painting, Flynn has published multiple books and interviews, including In Plein Air with Snap Collective and The Lotus Eater, a self-published poetry and artwork collection. He lives and works in Atlanta with his wife and daughter.
Statement
In my work, nature, color, and perceived light become tools to record and reexperience brief encounters with the mystical within the setting of the forest under an ever-present sun.
Working between the studio and in plein air, I tend to view each painting created in nature as an active interaction with the natural world. I often will mix found clay and river water into the paint and onto the canvas, using found natural objects to scrape and manipulate the paint to reveal and obscure layers underneath. I often work on flat canvases that have exposed torn edges – like a swatch taken from nature, threads hanging loose, its silhouette not exactly square. Recently, I’ve been incorporating shaped panels and natural wood to help add to this narrative in new ways.
The forest is forever because it dies and dies and so lives. In my work, meditations on the cycle of mortality and an anthropomorphic view of the natural world combine to create a parallel world drenched in color and swirling with silhouettes found in the forest.