Tom was born to a couple of creative powerhouses. His mother, Natalie Babbitt, a famous children’s book author (Tuck Everlasting), played the piano well; drew detailed, elaborate illustrations in many of her (over 40) books; she wrote music, built dollhouses and marionettes. The father, Samuel Babbitt, while an ambitious academic (President and co-founder of Kirkland College in upstate NY), he wrote books, plays and music along with his wife. Upon “retirement,“ he became a professional stage actor for two full decades.

 

This environment gave the young artist the idea he could pretty much do anything he dreamt up, and he has become adept at a number of art forms over his lifetime. In high school, he taught himself the guitar and began writing and performing music. At both Oberlin and Hampshire Colleges, he studied music theory and composition, as well as drawing, painting, sculpture and animation. He has created over 200 short form, artistic animations (under :60), and won some prestigious awards - for both an animated short of his mother’s children’s classic, "The Something," (Winner, 2014 AI-AP Motion Arts Awards) and for an elaborate music video (Best Music Video, LA Film Awards) of an original song, “Tell Me,” featuring a complex, prison cell set designed and built by TB. He writes, directs, stars in, edits, voices and scores, arranges, mixes & masters these projects - in both animation and short film - many in collaboration with veteran Boston Photographer Francine Zaslow, his partner for 13 years.

 

At age 30, he studied Graphic Design at MassArt in Boston, and after stints at The Atlantic Monthly Magazine and at small Boston firm, Yellow Inc., he worked as a full time agency Art Director in Portland, ME for a decade or so, working on local and national campaigns. Also during this time, he trained extensively to staff a powerful, experiential workshop called, “Opening the Heart” and worked for 6 years there, becoming senior staff, and the Musical Director. In 2003, he pivoted again, and got his Masters in Counseling Psychology, and has been a Psychotherapist in private practice for the past 20 years - a job he remains deeply passionate about. 

 

In 2014, he came back to animation with something of a vengeance, and his short, “The Something,” went on to do well in the festival circuit. In 2016, he set a personal challenge to complete ONE (under :60) original animation every day - and post to Instagram (he stopped at maybe 200) - all are posted on Instagram @babbittvisuals. In 2019, He staged and performed in “Tom Babbitt: Chameleon Man,” a live, filmed concert & multimedia event incorporating studio musicians and animation by Babbitt. This was then edited by him into a finished concert film. He continues to issue new music collections on his site, on iTunes, SoundCloud and other platforms. His music has been recognized by both “Billboard” and the “Song of the Year” Competitions. 

 

Finally, in the past 3 or 4 years, a surprising flood of paintings has emerged - where all of his little artistic tendrils can be gathered in, and then somehow allowed to run wild. In this way of making pictures, Babbitt can swing between 2d and 3d spaces; between realistic and fantastical realms; between real- and surreal- ism, between dark and humorous/cartoonish. Between, between. Edges are blurred here, with the intent to “confuse” the viewer into seeing the more holistic, crazy-making, blended “mess” of tendrils we actually are. Meant to engage on the macro and micro: Big, blunt, giggling characters tattooed with endless detail, hieroglyphics and personal stories embedded and then lost, in a sea of glorious black. 

 

The way this series essentially “erupted” fully formed, producing a prolific 150-piece run and counting, was like falling into just the right, crazy river - that just carries you - without effort. I invite you to spend a few minutes with these unique, strange/familiar mirrors - these self-portraits of… you.     -  TB