Tom Swearingen

I love it when people look at my art and smile! In many regards, it’s compensation enough for the work that I do.

I haven’t always been an artist, but I have always had an interest in art. I was born and raised in Richmond, California, USA, in the San Francisco Bay Area, an area rich in artistic expression and opportunities. I attended UC Berkeley, where art and design often combined to set global trends.

Grandpa Hart, my mother’s father, was a conductor with the Atchison, Topeka, and the Santa Fe Railroad. Grandpa Hart was also a model railroader, and some of my earliest memories were of his model trains. I developed a love of trains and model trains at about age three. After waiting what seemed like an eternity, I was finally given the gift of an HO Scale model train at age ten. I have been a model railroader ever since!

I was accepted to UC Berkeley at age 16, and attended Cal part time during my senior year in high school. I was also working part-time at Safeway. My employment provided me with illegal access to beer. At age 17, after a high school football game, I got drunk and ended up getting arrested, after drinking a lot of that beer!

The following week, a family friend, who also happened to be a police officer...

Bachelor of Arts, University of California, Berkeley
Master of Arts, Sonoma State University
“Painting Like the Masters with Charles Becker,” November 2011-May 2012

2014
“Still Life,” First Place, Winter Juried Show, Contemporary Fine Art International
“Vessels,” Sebastopol Center for the Arts, exhibit co-coordinator, January
National Arts Program, Santa Rosa, Professional Category
Rascals, Santa Rosa, solo show, March
Santa Rosa City Council Chambers, solo show, July
“Absolutely Incredible,” Las Laguna Gallery, Laguna Beach, CA, juried show, September
Art Trails, Sonoma County Juried Open Studios, October

2013
Second Place Award, Santa Rosa National Arts Program, Professional Category
“Playground,” Sebastopol Center for the Arts, juried show
“’Pop’ goes the Art”, Blue Line Gallery, Roseville, CA, juried show
“Flower Power,” Sebastopol Center for the Arts, juried show
“Up, Up, and Away,” Sebastopol Center for the Arts, juried show
“Not Just Landscapes,” Sebastopol Center for the Arts, juried show
Gallery Artist, Healdsburg Center for the Arts, Healdsburg, CA, March
Art @ the Source, Sebastopol Center for the Arts, open studio program
Invitational/solo show, City of Santa Rosa Administrative Offices, October