Chris Tutty loved art as a kid but gave it up to pursue a geology degree. It wasn’t until years later that he returned to his passion of being an artist.
Tutty had a passion for art at a young age; students and teachers would always ask him to draw for them when they couldn’t. It had meant a lot to him that people paid attention to his skills and appreciated them.
“When I was a young kid, I used to draw on the walls with crayons,” said Tutty. “I remember having a crush on a little girl one time, and I went over to her house, and I had drawn a whole mural on the wall of her room, and they left it. I didn’t get in trouble.”
Even with all of his art skills, Tutty chose to pursue a career in geology instead, a more practical choice at the time. He built a company with his father called Executive Elite Marketing.
Geology didn’t exactly pan out for Tutty. He came to realize that art was what made him happiest. He loved creating artwork and decided to continue his passion for it.
Tutty decided it was better off for him to be painting the entire day than trying to build a career in something he didn’t have a strong passion for. Various people and companies had helped him out with the growth of his art career.
A up-close shot of Tutty’s painting, although it is messy it still is a masterpiece of his. Photo by Liv Klein
Tutty’s art has helped many charities, including the Flames Foundation, Prostate Cancer Event, Waterkeepers Alliance, Calgary Food Bank, and multiple other foundations. His client list continues to grow.
Individuals pointed out to Tutty that his art had life and personality in it, it is easy to see his dedication to his craft. He realized going to art school for Graphic Art and Design would be a good idea, attending the University of Calgary and Reeves College.
Ted Knapik, a friend of Tutty’s, attended one of his auctions and ended up buying some of his work.
“We thought some of the portraits were kind of different and unique, and so we liked them,” said Knapik. “Aside from that, the money I was paying was going towards charity. So between the two, I said, ‘Oh, I’ll buy that.’ So we bid on them and bought them.”
Tutty organized his first gala in 2009, The Wild West Hollywood Art Exhibit and Celebrity Gala. These galas are successful for him because they are organized for charities and he always wants to help raise money with his art and help others whenever he can.
Tutty is in his workplace creating a new piece of art, this time featuring the Joker. Photo by Liv Klein
Bill Brown, who works for Elevate Auctions, worked with Tutty in a partnership for various events. They have the ability to promote quite a bit because they are usually doing the live auction and are quite involved with the charities.
“There have been so many fundraisers, all kinds of different events,” said Brown. “Prostate Cancer Event out at Priddis Greens was one of the more memorable ones. It’s quite a big fundraiser. It’s their annual golf tournament for the Prostate Cancer Center and we were able to raise a lot of money from Tutty’s art.”
Brown had helped Tutty by guiding him in promoting at events, and which events were best for certain pieces of his art. Brown vividly remembers meeting Tutty for the first time, he left a lasting impression on him, as well as his artwork.
“He was representing his own stuff; he was there with it. And I just found him very interesting. I like characters and I found him very much a character,” Brown stated.
Tutty has worked on various projects with multiple companies. He continues to expand his career with each new piece that he creates, sells, or auctions off for charities at his art shows.
Art was able to impact Tutty in a positive way, which made him be able to express the way he was feeling. He feels as long as he doesn’t have a lot of outside distractions, it is a fantastic escape for him. Tutty hopes to inspire people every day with his passion for his artwork, it is easy to see the love and aptitude he has with all of his pieces of art.
Editor: Sajan Jabbal | sjabbal@cjournal.ca