Meet Scott Tarbox | Mural Artist & Designer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Scott Tarbox and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Scott, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?

I never planned for this if I’m being honest. I was doing art while working and one day I started getting paid for it. Once that income eclipsed my day job, it was clear that I wanted to trade having a boss and a lack of agency over my time for this thing I that I loved to do.

I grew up feeling pretty disillusioned by the professional and academic prospects laid out in front of me. I didn’t really know who I was or what I wanted so my life in my early twenties was mostly spiraling around drugs and other distractions from what was this big question about the trajectory of my life and identity.

I honestly still felt pretty confused when I got clean in 2012 but in that space that I made for mental clarity came the pursuit of a passion just for the sake of it which ultimately became this business. I had years of experience in reatil management jobs and sales which I do think helped me adapt to the business-facing side of my career.

I’ve always had an approach with my work that I didn’t want all of my eggs in one basket because every market dips and spikes so that’s why you see me doing murals, digital commissions, paintings, stickers, pins, videos, and last year I began a tattoo apprenticeship that’s been mostly under wraps.

It was also always very important to me that I was creating art that I wanted to make and find the audience for it – not to just make what I thought would sell. I knew that if my income hinged on selling an art style that I didnt care about (but knew would sell) that over time I would greatly resent the process. We sometimes have to make compromises to keep these careers afloat but at the very least I want to care about the art I make.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I’m not sure exactly what sets my art apart from others but I do feel like I’ve created a style that is my own, especially in Texas. I try really hard to grow year over year more than anything else. Sometimes those decisions are chances to learn, sometimes they go as planned.

I think one of the unique challenges of being any kind of creative is that there will always be people who are going to prefer your old work or music and it’s kind of up to you determine what that means to you. Are you not working as hard? Have you outgrown your old audience? What’s more important you – realizing your artistic goals and evolution or staying in the box some people want you to stay in? Questions like this, impostor syndrome, creating when you do not feel like it, putting a price tag on your time/work – those are probably the most difficult areas of the industry, for me at least.

Another challenge for me was that a market I depended on for the majority of my income for years also completely tanked around 2021. Luckily I was able to pivot and my mural career took off a lot more around that time. The idea that if you “love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life” is unture. I love what I do, but there are times of uncertainty and it is undeniably a lot of work. I’ve been doing this full time for 7 years and don’t plan on getting a day job any time soon but if I did, I would still be painting and creating because it’s what I’ve always done.

Some lessons I’ve learned:

-You aren’t gonna get picked for everything and that’s okay
-Your peers aren’t your competition
-A client who wants a free concept sketch before hiring you is likely bad news
-Don’t say yes to every job
-Inspiration finds you working
-Take time to make art for yourself
-Take days off
-You aren’t your mistakes.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Okay so we would have to do a mural tour – that means stopping by St Arnold, Graffiti Park on St Emmanuel and the Harrisburg Art Museum. Once Meow Wolf is open we are definitely hitting that!

For parks I would have to say Buffalo Bayou Park of course and the Arboretum on Memorial Parkway. I love that place. There’s also loads of parks in the north suburbs Spring and the Woodlands like Pundt park with miles of bike trails along the creek.

Ricebox is always a great food option, covered in murals by DUAL, as well as some other favorites Ninja Ramen, Doshi House for coffee

For drinks you’d have to check out the new Lustre Pearl that opened in EADO featuring maybe my favorite mural of mine or Bad Astronaut on the north central side, just down the street from where Meow Wolf will be as well.

When we want some exercise we’d have to check out the Inspire Rock Climbing Gym in Cypress

Other spots I wanted to include:
-Seismique
-Stack Burger
-Powder Keg
-Jenni’s Noodle House
-Spanish Flowers
-Lola (Heights)
-Cheba Hut
-Lua Viet

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I really owe a lot to my family and I’m so grateful for them but if we are speaking professionally, I gotta give it to GONZO 247. I remember 10 years ago trying to break into the mural scene here and being nervous of being rejected or struggling to get opportunities. Right away Gonzo got me my first wall to practice on and a gig with Red Bull. I had barely met him and he took my enthusiasm and curiosity and added so much fuel to it. I’ve come a very long way in my technical skill since then but he really showed me what it means to be a role model in an industry and I’ve tried my best to pay that attitude forward with anyone who is trying to become a professional artist themselves that may have questions for me.

Website: www.tarboxtarbox.com

Instagram: @tarboxx2

Youtube: Tarbox Art

Image Credits
Personal photo taken by Pam Ashley Photography