Visions of Bigfoot: The artistry of Thomas Finley by Thomas Finley
iPad Cryptid Painting, Finley 2013 |
Editor's Note: This is a guest post by Thomas Finley, a Bigfoot artist. For reconstruction paintings of your sightings or historical accounts, email him at capteasycheese@gmail.com.
Recently I received a most welcome email from Shawn and asked if I would write a report on my Bigfoot & Sasquatch artwork and what serves as a inspiration to me in the process of bringing these paintings to life. First I will start with how I became interested in Bigfoot and the subject as a whole as this case still brings me sleepless nights as I ponder what it was I saw that day at the County Fair.
As a boy my family lived in Southern Minnesota on one hot August day in the 1960’s we all piled in the station wagon and made our annual trek to the Olmsted County Fair located at the fairgrounds in Rochester, Minnesota (home of the Mayo Clinic, IBM to name a few). I was 8 years old at the time and my older brother and I went off to explore the carnival midway and in the excitement of the day we came to this sideshow which had a really strange exhibit, a hairy, man-like creature frozen in ice!
This infamous being has been dubbed the “Minnesota Iceman” anyone in the field of Bigfoot and Sasquatch research knows the recorded facts on this case so I will not bore you will details here. Coming face to face with this thing really is what sparked the fires in me to this day to research the topic of Bigfoot and through my artwork try to bring them to life as best and realistically as possible.
The creature in the ice chest, not only made me start thinking of the possibility of these creatures being REAL but living and breathing and all around us. It still gives me goose bumps recalling that day and coming face to face with something I can only say could have been a living unknown hominid at one time. Where it came from? I have know clue. Was it a fake? I don’t think so because of the details and realistic nature of the face. That’s my own opinion. I saw this on exhibit again in the 1980s and I can tell you it was not the same creature in the ice chest. I always wonder what became of this mysterious curiosity we can only make assumptions and this will take us down the rabbit hole where I do not want to go at this time. Others out there are welcome to do so and take a flashlight you made need it.
All through high school I started to hone my artistic skills, learning much from my Mother as she painted watercolours and worked with charcoal art. I had a great art teacher and he always gave me words of encouragement and as many free passes to the class room as I wanted to I could draw and paint during my study hall time. I had one teacher tell me in 9th grade I draw to MUCH in class and it would never lead to anything. The slap on the wrist with the ruler didn’t work I guess because my old man made her look like a cuddly panda. Ah, the memories.
In 8th Grade I developed my love for the world of cryptids, this has never faltered expect for a wee bit when I was lost in the 1980’s as I didn’t have access to much of the stories and news going on. My artwork at the time was mainly wildlife, I made some good money selling it but I never really enjoyed it as I always would be sketching a Bigfoot in the border of the sketch pad looking back while I was sketching a deer or the like. I guess you could say they kept me from going bonkers over period of time. A blessing I always say.
Back at the end of 1999, I had just come out of a horrible relationship and I was looking through a box of stuff in the attic of my parents home in Minnesota and I came across all my cryptid scrapbook from high school. I then decided to start to seriously take the time to investigate these cases personally and to paint something I truly enjoy these hairy woodland creatures that I have loved since my youth.
There really isn’t a karma type mode I go into when I paint these beings. I sometimes draw from dreams I have, they have been coming a lot more vivid these last few years. I have to thank Kewanne Laperitis for that. Some of the visions are very muddled, others brilliant and bright and clear. One I had from this past spring was of a young woman running through the forest and she shouts at me in the dream to follow and run with her. I follow and she stops in a wooded clearing and then morphs in to this tall enormous and beautiful Bigfoot female with flowing hair in the wind. Then I woke up.
In other visions I have what I call stares, big eyes looking back into my own in a woodland setting. I communicated with some researchers I know about these dream elements and they wholeheartedly agree that it could be a form of communication. One even saying that one day I will meet the Bigfoot female. I was given a helpful mantra to communicate my intentions before I go to sleep in effort to communicate in a dream. Tell them: I come as a friend, I want to learn, show me your home and ways. Try it out you might find some enlightenment yourself about these beings. I am not an expert I am just an artist, an artist that researches the phenomena of Bigfoot. Their are a few of us around and I am glad to part of that circle of friends.
What I enjoy the most are the critics, the folks that tell me what a Bigfoot looks like. As you see I have painting them wrong all these years. So, I have been told. As I tell them, very patiently mind you…I am the artist and it is my view of them, nothing more. Someday I hope to sit down and paint a representation of one of them one day that will ring true as to their appearance and morphology. I don’t let it ruin my sleep that’s for sure. More critics the merrier. Some great lines for example: “Bigfoot doesn’t have a cone-shaped head”, “Your Bigfoot arms are unrealistic as they are to LONG”, “Why do your Bigfoot look ape-like?”, “Why don’t you ever paint their feet?”. See what I have to put up with?
Here in my office/studio I am surrounded by my many Bigfoot sculptures and figures. They all have a inspiration to me especially the wooden carvings they have a life all their own. This past year was really exciting for me as I have been meeting some very great people in this field, one being world renowned geneticist Prof. Dr. Bryan Sykes of Wolfson College of Oxford, England. He is now finishing his final samples of the DNA study and we look forward to his findings with great enthusiasm. To all my friends on Facebook you inspire me as well thank you for your support and kind words through out the year as it keeps me on the ball. Not to mention my wife Nicola, she is my number one fan and tells me all the time, they are beautiful and have a heart.
If anyone would like a signed art card just drop me a line at the email address below. To you the research community Attention! I would like the opportunity to do reconstruction paintings of your sightings and historical accounts. If you have any please contact me anytime. As I told a interviewer once… “Drawing a Bigfoot a day, keeps the doctor away”. And it works.
Bigfoot Lives!
Email Contact: capteasycheese@gmail.com
With the Big Folk! |
“The Usual Suspects” Created for the International Cryptozoology Museum last year. One of my favourites |
Yours Truly (and something not a Bigfoot) |
Holy shit I want some of what he smokes!
ReplyDeleteHe likes them hairy boobies
DeleteSeems he likes bigfoot hookers.
DeleteBigfeet on crack
DeleteJust grin and bare it mr Finley I have a funny feeling your work is about to be critiqued in ways you never thought possible
ReplyDeleteLol this guys infatuated with Bigfoot titties and why is the Bigfoot lookin so modest it like he caught the alien blowin Bigfoot mid painting
DeleteOr the Bigfoot is waving the alien over like hey I got something for you like the creepy eagle on the auto insurance commercial
DeleteOr mr beaver mr otter and mr Bigfoot are gonna gang rape the poor alien And the dragons like that's fucked up I'm leavin before this goes bad
DeleteThe little alien doesn't look happy. He might be upset because Bigfoot caught him and out him in a box! Alan is in the box!
DeleteHarry you are very very naughty!!
DeleteI was thinking about buying a hat today.
DeleteLol shut up JLB and stop trolling my husband on a big foot blog
DeleteYeah me too - a brown one with red bows on. What kind of hat you thinking of buying?
Deletebut but but...Cynthia....!
DeleteA bandini
DeleteHAHA!
DeleteWonder Woman v Batman
DeleteWho comes first?
GUINNESS hat..me thinks. xx
DeleteNeither - spiderman! ;)
DeleteHulk v Thing
Deletehyperion vs superman xx
DeleteOrigami Girl v Paedophilia Man
Delete'Thing' & 'Superman'
Delete..my little pony v Barbie?
Henry May v Bag of Donuts
DeletePink nylon panties v hardwood flooring
DeleteFaraday v Tesla
Deleteprince Harry v crack cocaine
DeleteMelissa Hovey v A guy in a tent
DeleteBoom!!!
DeleteKERPLOP!
Deletei.i.i.i.i.i.i.i.i...RAZZZZZAM!!!
DeleteKAPOW! KAYO! KER-SPLOOSH! KERPLOP! KLONK! KLUNK! KRUNCH! ... WHACK! WHACK-ETH! WHAM-ETH! WHAMM! WHAMMM! WHAP! Z-ZWAP!
DeleteAnd you're out!!!!!
Bigfoot wins by a knockout!
DeleteDrats! Do I still win my jackpot prize of a bag of squirrels and their nuts...?
Deletedepends, do you like black panties?
Deleteoh yeah.... but as long as they're made of wire..
Deletewhat gauge?
DeleteKind of but with fluff woven intricately inbetween. Do you know?
Deleteerm No! If its not AWG 17-24 so I can give you the amps I'm not interested. So no, you're getting your nuts.
DeleteDarn it! Do I get the squirrels? And if I do, will they be wearing anything?
DeleteLet's talk about cheese instead.
DeleteCheese? Cheese?? You always do this. You always bring the conversation back to cheese. Remember that time in Mexico? Well i am still shaking in shock from that 'cheese' episode of yours. You always have to ruin things dont you. We were having such a laugh and you had to do it - start talking about fucking cheese. Why dont you go seek therapy like I asked you???
DeleteJust some Blue Stilton or Barvarian Smoked.
DeleteI promise I'll get some crackers later. That was a really downward slide in that old Mexican tavern, the poor guy didn't know what was going on when he had no cheese to go with my chili.
Geez, I did loose it. And, we still didn't see the fucking Chupacabra.
Stop it Stop it!! forget the cheese and forget Mexico! Infact forget the Ford Cortina too!
DeleteBut you dropped some cheese down the seats, I had too...well....mmmh! How about Wensleydale with peppers?
Deletesoeaking of cheese.. Where's McCheese at. Is he the guy above incognito?
DeleteWell he's not me anyhow!! He's someone I thought was a friend..but he has this thing with cheese and I cant cope anymore. Do you want him?
DeleteMy boss vs common sense
DeleteDoes he like cheese also?
DeleteAnother connoisseur with a fine cheese palate! see JLB, cheese is everything it really is - Cheese, cheese cheese...wonder woman, eh? whatever...wonder woman....
Grater v the grill
DeleteJLB v Nutter
DeleteNutter v Bigfoot
DeleteElephant v Irrelephant
DeleteMr Bean v Benny Hill
DeleteCleo Rocos v Dirk Benedict
DeleteBendict Cumberbatch v Dr Hooooooooooooo
DeleteBigfoot v Yeti
DeleteBeti v Yigfoot
DeleteYeren v Yowie
DeleteSasquatch v Bigfoot
DeleteBlister Packaging v Stephen William Hawking
DeleteRichard Gere v a hamster
DeleteThe sun v The Human torch
DeleteMars v salami
DeleteAmerica v Canada
DeleteGreece v China
DeleteTampax v Dr Whites
DeletePiles v eczema
DeleteMarathon v Snickers (That's just fucked up)
DeleteGary Glitter vs Jimmy Saville, now that's fucked up
DeleteTrue!!! BUT....................
DeleteBigfooters v Bigfooters :))))))))))
That happens every day!
Deletelook play or fuck off.
DeleteA US keyboard layout v A UK keyboard layout
DeleteI think we may need to go to Skype baby! you wearing that Basque I bought you?
DeleteMary poppins v the Spice girls
DeleteSteps v Laurel & Hardy
DeleteRonald Reagan v Ossie Osbourne
DeleteA Sceptic v A Bleever
DeleteA wally v a hooofie
DeleteThat picures left tit v its right tit
Deletethe terradactyl v the owl thing in the tree
DeleteA bigfooter v A ham sandwich
DeleteA big mac v egg friend rice
DeleteA bigfooter v A tree
DeleteLoch Ness Monster v a Fairy
DeleteA Fairy v a Booman
DeleteHitler v King Kong
Deletea Ciuthach v a Troll
Deletebottoms v tits
DeleteGrogan v Frankenstein
DeleteThe elephant Man v Tom Jones
DeleteSpunkies v The Moog
DeleteBoogies v poo poos
Deletedeath v being a zombie
Deletepedos v zombies
Deletezombies v cokneys
Deletewell I think we've fucked this thread up! so same time tomorrow night?
DeleteAlright guvnor! See ya dan the ole kent road with yer barrel of jellied eels and I'll give yer a cup o rosie lea.
Deletesee ya
Ugly face on that bigfoot, but amazing tits!
ReplyDeleteI like me some hairy ass titties!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteBaybeee Thirsteee!!!
DeleteThen go suck on a baboons tits and live your fantasy you weirdo!
DeleteI would but Matilda might get jealous. :(
DeleteGet a grip Lon Pork Chop!
DeletePorkchop,you're crazy
DeletePendulous
ReplyDeletewow you got fantastic legs laissezfairscience..
DeleteI'll inform the good doctor of your complements
DeleteJane Goodall rocks!
DeleteTrue that!
DeleteShe looks like my mother in law..:(
ReplyDeleteMine too
DeleteI loved your account of your sighting and your experience. Keep up the great art work and no matter what the sketics say. They exist! From someone that has seen them and has taken quite a few experiences home from the woods as well. It's cold in Minnesota, as I am from North Dakota and can say even Alaska, around the coast, could not come close to the cold of that area! Best wishes!
ReplyDeleteNo offense John, but Alaska has the tundra. I know it's cold where you are at, but i think that has you beat.
DeletePlus in Alaska Russia is practically your next door neighbour, heck on a clear day you can see it.
DeleteThat giant wood carving is not nice. Little big foot looks like he is saying Bigfoot touched my naughty parts with his neck.
ReplyDeleteDon't say I didn't warn you mr finlay
ReplyDeleteWhats going on in 'the usual suspects'? Is bigfoot about to piss on an alien?? Or is he hoping for a blowjob?
ReplyDeleteThe Bf is Gandalf the gay, and the alien is gay the grey.
DeleteThe alien looks like he's stepped out of South Park
DeleteI do like the sketch
ReplyDeleteYeah but its looks really sad :(
DeleteIts expensive in Colorado xx
Deletenot if you steal shit.
DeleteDo you get your drugs from kerwain lapa whatever her name is? Where does she live?
ReplyDeleteI have several of Thomas's art pieces in my guest bathroom that has a Bigfoot theme. I just love them. Thomas, don't worry about what people say BF looks like. An artist is interpretive, not photographic, if he has any soul at all. Your art has soul. Keep it up!
ReplyDeleteWow would love to see your guest bathroom.
DeleteLadies Ladies
DeleteCould you please post your true feelings about man boobs. I would like to know your true disgust with man mam's
Thank you
Depends...man boobs and a face like Johnny Depp maybe ok.
DeleteAnyone else have a Bigfoot Themed guest bathroom? Of all the crazy shit you read on this thread that has to top the lot.
DeleteMMG
Hey man, let the chicks be chicks. Sure is nice having them around for a change
DeleteShut up Sharon! Moron!
Deletegood artwork, keep doing what you do!
ReplyDeleteSharon Day, Sharon Hill, Sharon Lee... how do you tell them apart?
ReplyDeletesurname, just a guess.
DeleteLooks a bit like South Park's Sheila Broflovski
ReplyDeleteMs Crabtree
DeleteMs chokesondick
DeleteI never knew bigfoot had nipps the size of door knobs
ReplyDeleteLOL
DeleteI could hang my John Deere hat on them babies
DeleteYeehaw
No nipples-did you not see the PGF? This is what is known as artistic license. They also lack taterholes, according to that priceless footage....
DeleteThanks for painting my Wife.
ReplyDeleteCunt
ReplyDeletewow!! some of you people are just rude ! nothing better to do ?? great art work Thomas!!
ReplyDeleteactually at the moment no you twat, now fuck off.
DeleteI like the artwork. Keep it up! And as for the jerk-off above who completely bombarded this post, your parents must be proud. Karma's a Bitch.
ReplyDeleteDamn, Shawn. You invite this guy to write an article to post on your site and he has to endure all this? I sure hope you warned him. A "tiny bit" of policing wouldn't kill your site, man...shame what it's becoming. Wow.
ReplyDeleteI warned him at the very beginning. Now he deserves his I survived the Bigfoot blog t-shirt and commemorative sock with locks in it.
DeleteAs long as his art sells this guy doesn't give two shits about posts on Bigfoot so stop pushing your crappy narrow minded agenda on us
DeleteYeah you tell him Harry!
Deleteanon v real people
DeleteMove along, gay men. We don't need your kind around here. Deviants!
ReplyDeleteIt is not art. Thomas Finley..you suck. Looks like something a 9 year old would scribble with crayons.
ReplyDeleteOh, and the lil tunnel rat gook slanteye bastard is a foggot.
ReplyDeleteThat artwork is totally tits!
ReplyDelete