Amid paper and pencil, one of Hillsdale College’s dedicated art students works toward his dream. In his work, junior Thomas Lundberg projects the hopes and aspirations of a decade-long hobby. Lundberg is going beyond the simple acknowledgement of his artistic talents and intends to pursue a career in the field.
“It took a while to decide on an art major, but it’s what I should be doing for sure,” Lundberg said. “Drawing has been a hobby of mine since grade school. I understood things about figures and animals that most kids don’t notice.”
In deciding on a major, Lundberg was torn between economics and art.
“I chose art because it’s what I enjoy,” Lundberg said. “I’m aware it might be hard to get a job but it’s still worth it.”
Son of Head Track Coach and Assistant Professor in PED Bill Lundberg, “Tommy” has lived in Hillsdale his whole life. The artistic streak also runs in the family.
“My sister was an art major,” Tommy Lundberg said. “Now she works at Anthropology designing displays. My dad was an art major before he switched to physical education. My grandmother was artistic as well.”
Tommy Lundberg began nurturing his talent in high school by incorporating a love of music into his drawings.
“I started out copying the album covers of bands I liked, especially Radiohead,” Tommy Lundberg said.
His interest soon spread to the copying of pop culture images.
“I copied posters, concert posters from the 60’s, famous works of art,” Tommy Lundberg said. “I once copied a page from the ‘Watchmen’ comic book. It took me a whole week because of the high level of detail.”
In college Tommy Lundberg has made the transition from popular images to famous faces. His portraits boast the likenesses of celebrities Brad Pitt, Jack Nicholson, Beyoncé, Audrey Hepburn and other celebrities.
“I’ve been working on portraits for a while now,” Tommy Lundberg said. “I’m working on a Bob Dylan — still have a ways to go on that. Capturing a likeness is pretty difficult. The portraits I do for practice, to push myself further. Sometimes I draw things I see, in the union for instance. I get on these kicks of things I enjoy doing.”
Tommy Lundberg’s work also has attracted the attention of his peers.
Fellow art student and sophomore Joseph Craig attended Hillsdale Academy with Tommy Lundberg.
“I’ve always thought Tommy’s work has been great,” Craig said. “In class I can’t help but be jealous sometimes.”
Tommy Lundberg’s love of album art gives him favorable disposition toward the seemingly soon-to-be-obsolete CD.
“I still like buying CDs from bands I appreciate; I don’t want them to disappear,” Tommy Lundberg said. “Vinyl is great for the large album artwork. That’s something I’m curious about doing some time.”
Tommy Lundberg already has begun to accept commissions for his work.
“My aunt asked me to do a portrait of her husband my uncle,” he said. “She paid me and it was a great deal.”
Another opportunity came as Tommy Lundberg began drawing buildings around campus. Senior Sally Klarr saw a drawing Lundberg made of the Kappa Kappa Gamma house.
“I asked if he would agree to sell it to the sorority,” Klarr said.
With senior year fast approaching, Tommy Lundberg has been giving more thought to a post -collegiate career.
“I have a friend of a friend who works for Def Jam records making album art,” he said. “So I’m hoping to get my way in there. Right now it’s just a hobby of mine, but I would enjoy it being my job as well.”
hsmith@hillsdale.edu
