Living in the Midwest has influenced my style of painting and choice of subject matter significantly. Many of my pieces depict very common scenes I have experienced. As a child, I spent countless hours playing on the riverbanks and wooded areas in Central Iowa. Even today, I continue to be intrigued with nature and the way sunlight and shadows help define the landscape. I continue to spend my mornings hiking and sketching the rugged landscape along the Iowa River near my home. My goal is to paint relatively common scenes in a more dramatic and interesting way. Most of my finished works are the result of reference photographs and on-location (plein-air) studies. I have worked primarily in pastels and oil paints. I plan to continue to explore these two mediums and look forward to many more years of painting and conducting workshops.You can visit Tom's website to view more of his work here.