About Tom
Tom grew up in the south west of England and has been drawing for as long as he can remember, however his passion for painting started when he first went to a Devon beach as a young teen to try surfing. “I remember that evening I saw the fierce power of the ocean displaying such beauty, I saw a dark horizon rise up and then a vibrant orange spray streaking into the sky, ethereal fans of glowing mist catching the light of the setting sun were followed by the quiet rumble coming from the dark cascading horizon, then I was amazed to see a distant surfer silhouetted against refracting lights of emerald green drop below sea level into the dark unknown. That was the moment I fell in love with nature as an artist, there is a living and mystical quality to this phenomena and I see ocean swells like the breath of planet Earth, I will always respect it”. When Tom was 18 this raw power nearly took his life, and since then he has been forever humbled by it.
Shortly after this frightening experience Tom started his education at art college and learned to be a graphic designer. At the beginning he was taught to use tangible materials instead of computers in order to get the feel for composition, texture, negative space, typography and shape. He found this extremely beneficial at the early stages of his BA. Tom eventually became a graphic designer, designing screen printable designs for brands such as Burberry and Fat Face, he also created and ran his own streetwear label for a time called Opine Clothing. Tom’s personal life took a radical change however when he started practicing mindfulness meditation and he left this life to go travelling, India - a place he loves, full of beauty and contrasting scenes - inspired him to the core of his being, and when he returned his art took a symbolic and spiritual tone. He saw the ocean as symbolic of states of mind - and even of consciousness itself. Suddenly works of William Blake and Salvador Dali made much more sense to him.
As well as being a professional artist, Tom decided to change his role as a graphic designer to support people on the Autistic spectrum, and during this he includes painting activities as a way to help them focus on the present moment which he finds very rewarding. During the rest of his time as an artist, Tom has exhibited at many galleries such as Penwith Gallery in St Ives, The Brownston Gallery in Devon and Elizabeth James Gallery in London, along with this, he has also helped to run a gallery on Plymouth’s historic harbour (known as the Barbican). He paints from direct inspiration and also paints work directly commissioned by people which is always very well received!