Tim enjoyed drawing from a young age copying his favorite cartoon and comic book characters. He has been painting since the late 1990's when he was introduced to it in High School and when he attended the Minneapolis College of Art and Design. He chose Illustration as a course of study and, for the most part, used acrylics for his painted work. While there he received a good foundation in life drawing and design and dabbled in many types of media. In 1994, he left to continue at the College of Visual Arts, again with his eye on an illustration career. Tim left school to pursue a job in the computer game industry and has worked on the computer since in many different capacities.

In 2004, having painted sporadically, he decided to get back into it. He liked the idea of painting outside, directly from life, and decided to go in that direction. He turned to oil paint as it gave him the most flexibility when working outdoors. It provides an opportunity to see colors as they really are and informs his studio work.