Where he's from: A small town outside London, where his parents took him to visit museums as a child. He moved to Florida with his family at age 12.
Why he's going to be big: A senior fine arts major at USF Tampa, Lovejoy has disciplined himself to tap into a state of mind called hypnagogia to paint surreal canvases. His interests in philosophy, religion, biology and wildlife fuse in the images, where animals and humans collide in mind-bending narratives. Internships at USF's Graphicstudio and at two private artists' studios in Sarasota — where he lives half-time — have prepared him for a career as a professional artist.
On hypnagogia: "It's this little-talked-about stage of mind that happens to everyone right before they fall asleep — a state in between waking and dreaming when your mind opens up and you put strange thoughts together, and work through problems you may have. It sounds very strange, but Carl Jung wrote about it. So did Freud, and their contemporaries."
How does he know when a piece is good? "I don't. I try to challenge myself with each piece I do, but usually I'm unhappy with them. I always find flaws. I think we're our own worst critics."
Art idols: Painter Dana Schutz for color, John Currin for technique, Matthew Barney, Walton Ford and Renaissance painting.
Where he wants to be in 12 months: Earning an MFA in New York or London.
Where he hopes to be in 10 years: Teaching and showing in a top gallery.
Where to see his work: evanlovejoyart.com
