Tom Shropshire

" I love the romance of the city at night. I am a painter of contemporary night city scenes, Abstracts, Urban Fantasy scenes and narrative works inspired by pop culture. I try to express mystery, beauty, and wonder in all my work. Lights glittering like broken glass have always fascinated me. The sparkle of city street lights, the neon signs, and the pulsing glow of traffic, create a sense of excitement and an underlying feeling of danger and edginess that is almost intoxicating!"




Why I love to paint the rain -
"An early childhood memory of a car ride with my parents during a cold night thunderstorm has been indelibly etched into my mind. Huddled in the back seat under a wool car blanket with my brothers and sister, I was warm and safe as the rain pounded the metal roof and the tires swished and hissed through the flooded streets. Surrounded by warmth and hearing the murmur of my parent’s voices I drifted in and out of sleep and watched the wavering reflections of colored lights reflected by the streams and droplets on the steamy window glass.

I have never felt as safe and loved as I did that night. Lulled by the rhythm of the windshield wipers and the sound of distant thunder, I fell asleep. Even today a stormy weat...

Although I have had years of formal study I have never pursued an art degree but chose instead to follow my own course of study. I also have over fifty years of painting experience and the wisdom to know that an artist never stops learning and is a student forever. My life remains an unfinished canvas.

As a painting instructor, I'm not sure you can teach someone to be an artist. You can fan a spark into a flame, but without the spark you're only teaching technique and the student will improve ...but not grow as an artist.

Tom has won recognition and numerous awards during his career and his paintings are represented in museums, cultural centers and many private and corporate collections worldwide, He is also a popular painting instructor with a loyal following of students and collectors. His students call themselves "The Fine Art and Cheap Wine Group". Since each class has a wine break at the half way point, class members take turns bringing in good but inexpensive bottles of wine to share. Tom is also author of the art instruction book “Acrylic Landscapes”, in the best selling Walter Foster How to Draw and Paint Series.

As to exhibitions, after over fifty years there are too many to list, too boring to read, I don't keep track anymore.