I create my work out of my lifelong love for art.  And I know for some people that art brings a certain splendor into their world. Even though it’s all subjective to the viewer, all art has its’ own “place in the choir.”

I can only assume that every striving or accomplished artist arrives at their vision through their own inspiration and creative process. I don’t attempt to understand how being moved by a lyric, a written or spoken word, or an emotion brings a three dimensional image to my mind’s eye, yet that’s my journey.  Maybe it’s inspiration derived from inspiration.

To toil in clay and wax and ultimately metal makes for a real challenge to create character, life, and a meaningful moment. For me it’s a slow rhythm of blending curiosity and imagination.

I’ve always been fascinated by people throughout history and how the character of their features, expressions and even their hands can tell a story. It’s often the mystic and immeasurable that captivates me and sometimes it can be a bit soulful. I try to hit this mark in my art and I admire those artists who do it time and again.

Placing my art in public is humbling, yet I like that reality of grounding oneself. I sense that there are those times they are saying “What could he be thinking”? I actually embrace that reaction and make it my motivator. Then suddenly appears that individual who is moved by the sculpture and inquires about the inspiration. Often in those encounters, they will ask if they can touch the sculpture. When they have arrived at that level of interaction then I know that there is some validation and that my art matters.

Tom is a 6th generation Texan.  He spent his boyhood in San Antonio and after living across the United States, he and his wife Fran now reside back in San Antonio.   Between those San Antonio “bookends’’, he left for college as a student athlete and then spent decades working in the telecommunications industry. His love for all forms of art goes back to his boyhood. Yet his opportunity to delve into the art world was placed on a low priority on the home front. Art did not mix with his early age charge to pay his way,  and do well enough in  school and sports to go to college "so you won’t be poor.” That seemed like a reasonable goal considering his life circumstances, yet he knew that passion for the arts could not be tethered forever.

A better vocational than academic student, he did maneuver his way through school with the help of tutors and many brilliant and empathetic professors.  Drawing his own cartoon characters and illustrations on his work and tests assured him they would remember him regardless of his class standing. His imagination endeared him more often than not. He loved the opportunity to do historical and creative writing and include illustrations in the margins of every page.  His History and English Literature Professors encouraged him to take a path toward creative writing and art.

Tom had now found that he was intrigued with the history and the leadership of the likes of Jefferson, Lincoln and FDR.  He found himself picking up every second hand paper back on leadership with the hope that he could cultivate some of that wisdom into his own foundation. He was presented with the question “What is your passion and will it serve others?” His core belief of giving before getting and how he could envision himself in a servant leadership style directed him to Business and Psychology. His hope was to see if this avenue could prepare him to answer that question about passion and serving others. He later found that this passion made his career a work of joy, and that his love for the creative process strengthened his intuition and vision in business. As he looks back on that mission he says he can sleep well.

In his elusive spare time Tom taught himself to carve caricatures and realistic images of his favorite subject, people. On a last minute whim he entered his work in a show. To his surprise he walked away with Best of Show and the People’s Choice Award. Tom was already a collector of fine art and he was asked by some peer business and community leaders to lend his support to build one of the world’s largest outdoor sculptures. That sculpture was a monumental cattle drive by artist Robert Summers in Dallas, Texas. That encounter with a renowned and selfless artist spurred the desire for Tom to go back to untethering that creative drive.

Soon after, he ran across an ad for a sculpting class that would start in 3 days. There was a slot open and an invitation to join the class with no tools and material required. To his surprise all of the students were experienced sculptors. The promise of material and tools did not materialize. He found some hobby shop clay and used plastic utensils for tools. He found he was so far behind the class and unprepared that he chose to step back and listen to every comment by the instructor. The listening experience and the instructor’s intense discipline for anatomy accuracy was a great gift. That instructor was legendary western sculptor Mehl Lawson.

Since that time Tom has evolved into creating his own style of sculpture. He has shown his work at a national level. He has juried and judged national shows and he has also facilitated national shows. Tom is still a collector of fine art, while enhancing his own art. He is back to that question, “What is your passion and will it serve others?”  He is determined to make that happen in some fashion.