Todd is a self taught painter and photographer. Originally from Wayne,Pennsylvania, Todd began exploring creative ideas in the great outdoors of his grandparents backyards and during numerous Boy Scout camping trips. These moments laid the foundation for his artistic endeavors that are founded in the beauty of Nature. Soon he began dabbling in photography to document his discoveries and travels. Fascinated by the passage of time, the camera enables him to slow down and capture those fleeting, intimate, once-in-a-lifetime moments that call to him so he can share them with others.
Todd received his degree in Communications from Lynchburg College in Virginia. After graduation he moved back to Pennsylvania where he began his art career in earnest. He took a job as a traveling portrait photographer and his travels often took him to Philadelphia where he discovered a whole new universe of city lights, textures and graffiti to explore and photograph. One day while walking back to his car in the rain he noticed oil leaking from a car engine and the resulting oil slick it produced on the black wet pavement. He was entranced by the intricate shapes and designs of the mixing colors. Seeking to find more of these unique, fleeting patterns and shapes became an obsession. After it rains, he can often be found in parking lots and streets, camera in hand, searching for more unique designs. He has titled this series of images "Oil on Pavement". All of the images he captures, no matter what the subject is, reveal a tremendous beauty to him and these fleeting moments do not last long so it is important to him to capture and share these moments with the world. He has numerous styles he shoots in from abstract to landscape and street photography to macro photography. He was awarded the Mid Atlantic Triple A Travel Photographer of the Year in 2015 for his image "Walker and Bike" shot in Stockholm,Sweden.
In addition to his various photography endeavors, Todd is also an accomplished painter. Most of his works are what have been termed "Organic Abstraction". These works are a study in lines and the space they reside in with regard to contrasting colors and the dimensions they create. Todd's intention is to create a spontaneous visual journey for the eye. He is inspired to invoke the beauty and emotion of color in his work, acknowledging that the viewer's experience creates their own interpretation of the meaning. Using oil, acrylic, ink, enamel, wax, glass, jewelry, epoxy resin and mixed media in his paintings, his creative process is to explore emotional reactions to the combinations of colors and textures he layers on the canvas. Todd creates detailed and intricate patterns within his paintings using a variety of painting knives and brushes. He also utilizes nontraditional techniques of painting with unusual tools such as syringes, pins, knives, toothbrushes and spatulas to create different textures, patterns and layers.
Instead of philosophical interpretation, Todd wants the viewer's eye to be saturated with the freedom to roam the canvas. He likens the experience to listening to jazz, a free flowing expression, that allows the colors and textures to elicit an emotional response. The manifestation of each painting is spontaneous and he is never quite sure how the painting will turn out as he believes being free from preset visualization of the piece releases the creative flow. His spontaneous mixture of patterns and lines is a metaphor for life and how we are never sure what is coming next; a reminder to trust and enjoy the journey.Todd likes to use dark and textured backgrounds that create a feeling of being immersed in the scenery and the unknown where the colors lead the viewer into a new light of potential discovery. Many of his works also include mixed media such as shards of glass, pebbles, watches, wood, fabrics, coins, gravestone rubbings, tiles, flowers, molding paste and various found objects such as jewelry, metal and wire.
Additionally, Todd makes clothing out of his photographs and paintings, including leggings, capris, tank tops, scarves and t-shirts. click on the link above called Todd Breitling Art Designs to explore and purchase those. Todd also has a link for his music that he creates under the link called Always The Enemy music as well as a You Tube Channel for videos he makes.
Combined with his unique style using oil, ink, acrylic, resin, enamel and various mediums, plus his fine art photography, original music, videos and clothing designs(see links above), Todd has created multiple streams of original artistic work. These wide range of influences and passions serve to broaden his creative palette where he truly has no boundaries to his burgeoning creative portfolio.