Lost Empire Painting

M. Thomas Lane was born on August 2, 1972, in East Cleveland, Ohio. He is the second eldest of seven children, born to a strong, kind, loving, hard-working single mom, Carolyn Lane. Through her hard work and determination, Carolyn was able to lift herself and her children out of poverty and into the beautiful suburb of Cleveland Heights when Tommy was 17 years old. He attended the prestigious Cleveland Heights High School that is somewhat famous in its own right; where “talented kids” were aplenty, and Tommy then knew he was home. (Tommy also briefly attended Shaw High School, and The Art Institute of Atlanta for brief stints.) From a very early age, “Tommy,” as he is known to friends and family, discovered he had a natural talent for drawing, painting, sketching, and cutting hair. In his high school, Tommy began to make a name for himself by doing precision and detailed haircuts for men and women, of all ages, races and economic status. While making extra money in high school by cutting hair, Tommy was also starting to gain recognition for his other astute take on art of different mediums. He began sketching, drawing and painting, and everyone on the local Cleveland art scene began to take notice. While Tommy still considered painting and sketching a hobby, others with more experience and eyes for talent began to encourage him to take his art to another level. Tommy currently resides in Atlanta, Georgia, with his wife of 25 years and his 13-year-old son. He travels regularly, creating art and bringing joy to everyone he meets. His is a brilliant artist, and a warm, kind, very funny man, and an excellent husband, father, sibling, and friend.