Meet Brent Thackery | Painter, Glass Blower, Digital and Tattoo Artist, Musician

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

Hi Brent, why did you pursue a creative career?
Freedom. As i entered the work force as a young adult i quickly realized that i was a slave to this socio~economic system and my boss and mentor, Chaz Kaiser, told me *You have to work the system, or the system will work you”. I had always felt that i wanted to make art everyday but now i felt i had no choice. I could follow my dreams and possibly be broke or try to fit into a 9-5 job and live paycheck to paycheck and MAYBE live long enough to retire and be free, and with social security being raided every year i didnt hold much hope for the fed govt to secure my future retirement. On a deeper level, it called to me-my purpose for incarnating i felt was to create a better world by interacting through art and philosphy, and more abstractly, through frequency. By taking this risk, being happy, and attempting to stay spiritually elevated chasing whatever dreams, i found i could change the way people felt and thought and interacted with life, culture, and thereby give them the “permission” to do the same. Being part of a movement like this was integral in my decision and ultimately what pulled me into this lifestyle.

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.
At the beginning of my career i was unsure how any of the business workedor if i could survive finacially. I began by reading books on tattooing and teaching myself-1995. I saw the coming trend. I did well and discovered glass blowing and did both for a few years before moving completely into glass. Many years of long hours which i loved. It consumed my life and was rewarding, but i lost some important relationships and missed some years of life. Eventually after 22 years in glass, i felt i had hit a ceiling creatively and my interest waned. Realizing i had spent the majority of my adult life in a studio, i decided to pursue music and travel, develope social skills and enjoy what the world had to offer, which payed substantially less at first but was a good trade after all. I am now learning to paint-and balance glass, painting, digital media, music, and relationships while pursuing my love of travelling. As far as my brand~my brand stands for Freedom. Freedom to explore whatever you believe you deserve. Using our Spirits to download higher frequencies into this reality-with screaming Hendrix guitars and shooting paint out a shotgun, to rally against all forces that continue to dumb people down, oppress, and otherwise stifle and enslave people as a means of control and profit, whether finacially or mentally. This brand stands for lifting others up and breaking down old sytems and ideas that no longer serve humanity, awakening our full potential and not settling for what society subliminal teaches is normal. I want to help create a new idea of what life is and can be, And the learning is in the doing. Take an educated risk into the unkown for everyone who cant.

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.
Currently in Colorado so of course my favorite secret trails on the mountains-although they all seem to be epic. Manitou Springs has the hottest music scene rn-esp the open mics where amazingly talented people like Eli Blackshear (Barefoot Family Caravan), Julian Dillon (Family Elephant) , Illegal Cheeze spacefunk connection, and edm style artists, and many, many others, can be found jamming together casually creating one of the best music underground scenes i have found.
There are many private painting/social parties that can be found in the springs as well as public art shows that pop up in several locations- all found with a little looking.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
There were and continue to be so many people who have shaped my experience and direction in this feild of art-too many to name, but the festival music scene played a large part in developing a network and opened my eyes to the best of the best artists, musicians, and idealists who have had the guts to risk following their dreams and make the world a little more bearable-and bearing theor souls. I also believe in the idea of the spirit of the Muse, of which i have been lucky enough to find at different periods in my career, as well as all of the great artists and musicians throughout history that I, and our society, stand upon the shoulders of today. Everything that man has created began as an idea-that someone was compelled to make a reality, those of us that continue to develope and propel forward.

Instagram: @therealthackdaddy

Linkedin: Brent thackery

Facebook: Brent Thackery, @blt_artmusicglass

Other: (Brand new-paintings prints and small glass pendants) Thackdaddyslove.etsy.com Music: Fb: @Illegalcheeze