Blurring the Line: Tony "A.C." Evans '00

Release date: April 23, 2008 |

When his brush connects with canvas, mixing oils with photographic images to create a painted collage, Tony "A.C." Evans evokes a world that is captivating--and familiar. "I’m really inspired by everything," he says. "My subjects vary, but I mostly draw from my everyday experiences, interactions, conversations, songs,  and memories."

The recipient of one of Goucher’s prestigious Rosenberg Scholarships in visual arts, Evans ultimately majored in English, with a concentration in creative writing. "Painting and writing both require a lot of imaginative discipline," he says. "My English and art courses complemented each other quite nicely. While I was reading novels, writing essays, and analyzing fiction, I understood that there was a connection between the way a writer builds a novel sentence by sentence and the way a painter constructs a painting with a particular line or specific color."

 After graduation, Evans split time between New York City and his hometown of Houston, managing cases for law firms, tending bar, and pursuing his art--which now includes photography and music, in addition to writing and painting.

Although he touts his family as his greatest creative influence, Tony found his first ideas in the world of make-believe. "I always liked cartoons and superheroes, because most of them never had any limitations," he says. "That artificial world propelled me to paint, because in making art, there are no rules. You can create your own world from whatever vantage point you want."

Recently, Tony adopted a decidedly French perspective. While in Paris for a wedding in the summer of 2006, he packed his portfolio along with a gift for the bride and groom. After showing his work to the owner of the Galerie les Singuliers on Boulevard Haussman in the 8th Arrondissement, he was asked to return for an exhibition. Last March, he did just that--and sold six of his 11 paintings.

"It’s important for me to help develop the future," he says, "and not just sit by and let the future happen."