-Visual Arts Autobiography-
Grab alot of inspiration from action sports and the lifestyle that comes with action sports. Skateboarding culture being a main influence. I love being able to work in multi media and art because of the endless places it's brought me. I've literally been across the world and back. In 2008 I decided to moved to Europe to the Czech Republic for a job opportunity and was employed at a television station as a video editor. I was filming and editing openers fore the news stations individual anchors. The spots would be aired before the select anchors news cast, I took creative lead with project filming and editing multiple shorts 10-60 second spots. I also helped troubleshoot with apple creative suites being apple computers were transitioning and becoming more common in media in Europe around 2009. I was well versed at the time being I used the first generation iMac since 2002 when the iMac was released, also working on apple computers in television production classes in school. Living in Europe was a big influence on my creative outlook, using public transport to get back and forth to work while skateboarding and seeing concerts on my free time through-out the city. After a year of living in Europe, I moved back to Florida to work freelance video and editing. I linked up with "FOX's Fuel TV" for a show that was being filming for a season ender. I was working with multiple artist, musicians, athletes, and businesses to create content as well. I took some time off from video and wanted to work on my art on a creative venture, so I humbly was set up for a apprenticship with one of the best South Florida airbrush artist bringing me to move to Ft. Lauderdale for a year. He taught me alot about airbrushing and then sparked my interest with glass etching “glazing” and a way to combine the two art forms, since Ive been able to implement the two into my artwork. Sometime after my apprenticeship, I returned to my hometown of Jupiter to freelance and ended up getting casted for a acting job and spent sometime on set in Cape Canaveral, FL as an extra for the movie “First Man” a 2018 Biographical film directed by Damien Chazelle. The film, which stars Ryan Gosling, was produced in association with DreamWorks Pictures and Universal Pictures. This was a great experience seeing the workings of a Hollywood film. I got the full experience being put threw wardrobe fittings, hair and makeup. I had been selected for multiple 1960s period correct outfits for two different scenes as a background extra. For about a year I had a contracted to work as painting instructor with a paint and sip establishment. This was a very fun and different experience, I got to work on my ability to talk, present, teach, and give instruction to a group of attendees as a professional artist. I eventually started my bicycle venture at a bike shop and I juggled working full-time as a mechenic at a small local bicycle shop, freelancing video and graphics while working on comedy shorts with a small collective and production company I happen to be a part of with a group of ridiculous friends, along with finding time to make art and build commissioned custom bicycles. I am always looking to expand my knowledge of working in multiple art forms and expressing creativity in the Art world.
-Bicycle Artist Background-
Currently between the years of 2025-2026 I have found my self working at five separate bike shops and having occupied five different work benches this has lead me to adapt fast and has been a big learning experience currently leading me to a residency at a bicycle sales warehouse in Boca Raton, FL working as a bike tech in a warehouse of online sales of used high-end bikes. Prior I was practicing as a bicycle technician in my hometown of Jupiter close to the treasure coast beaches where we did bike sales, repairs and rentals all year round to enjoy Florida weather and bike path along the beaches all located right out the front door of the bike shop. My bicycle experience is going on 8 years and a few months learning and practicing proper repairs and mechanics of bikes. Servicing bicycles I also became more efficient and diagnosing common technical problems with up-to-date modern bikes. I believe you can never know enough and I’m not done learning but absorbing what I’m taught to better my knowledge of bicycle mechanics and the art of bike. It’s always satisfying being able to share knowledge, tips and tricks to the interested persons and talk about bike maintenance and care. I feel the “art” and “creativity” of all different bicycles has definitely made me a better artist implementing and diversifying visual pleasing work along with the technical aspect of working with my hands producing from sketch to final result, weather its restoring a old bicycle or modifying a modern one, your end result is a working piece of functional art. Just about summed up quickly my activity of bicycle work in the past 10 years".
-Why Visual Artist and Backstory-
I like to do it all when it comes to anything visual. I like to create visually pleasing work from my vision or a collaborator when it comes to video, editing, producing, designing, directing, graphics, photos, and art. Drawing and sketching at a young age and later in my rebellion skater punk teen years around the 90s picking up a Hi8 video camera too be the dedicated family videographer on vacations and trips, later realizing I could use the camcorder to document my friends skateboard while my friends and I we were heavily into skateboarding. I used a VCR, the Hi8 camcorder and CD player to create a make shift analog editing system and created short edited skate videos with music. This led me down a road of eventually upgrading to a apple computer with editing software and opened up a whole new world of possibilities and endless limits of digital video editing. I was self taught learning various editing softwares on what was some of the first generations of apples creative suite software, refining the craft of post production film making. Fast forward 2004 I produced my first skateboard film on DVD “SkateFL 2 year Delay”, eventually working with a distribution company with the second Film “SkateFL Greetings“ we sold to skate shops nation wide and internationally. A task that I took upon my self was to film, edit, design, direct and produce both films. I don’t label my self to one skill because I like to understand and challenge myself to all aspects of the visual arts. From the simple idea and the process of creating a gallery worthy final rendering, I enjoy the whole process. “I learned there are many platforms of canvas to create art, I don't limit my self but learn and create.” -Thomas Chrpa