Thomas Bradshaw began painting right out of college. After attending the Art Institute of Atlanta. From his journals comes this quote, "I started noticing all of the changes around me and color became my new desire. I have a tremendous desire to explore my inner thoughts and put them on canvas. From my very first brush stroke, I knew I wanted to learn everything there was about expressing who I am through painting. Thomas states, "My family gave me a french easel one Christmas and I began to take my art seriously. "I started taking my easel out into the open air and painting on site "alla prima, plein air". Plein air painting has been very addictive for me. I was hooked from the very first outing."

Tom has made it his life-long goal to pursue plein air painting with a passion. "The actual act of mixing and the application, to me, is the key essential to every successful painting. To convey how edges look, smooth or rough, is what keeps me coming back to the canvas. It keeps me honest to the feeling of what is happening inside the canvas, not neccesarily what I am painting, but I try to give the painting a life of it's own and to let it breath and come alive. I want the painting to make its own statement. I let the painting steer itself. I am careful to not let it get out of control while simultaneously stepping to the edge and looking over, but never jumping. When i'm complete it almost feels like it is dead and now it is a fossil..I have lots of fossils laying around, some burried in unknown places, some i keep closeto admire and live with me for a bit." My goal is to eliminate anything which is not critical to the success of the painting. In doing this I have found that the scene reveals to me what it wants to portray.

The scene unfolds itself in front of us every day, but very few of us ever relax enough to embrace the moment. I invite you along on my journeys. I hope you will enjoy my paintings as much as I enjoyed painting them."