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Wildhorse Gallery |
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Artist ProfileTom Lockhart |
 A Favorite Spot on the Elk River Oil Painting |
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Tom Lockhart was born and raised in the heart of the pristine San Luis Valley in Southern Colorado. A brief art lesson at age ten sparked some interest in painting but high school soon challenged him in other directions. While attending college in Emporia, Kansas, an art professor approached him and encouraged him to take an art class. The seed was planted again and Tom changed his major to art. He received his Bachelor of Fine Art Degree from Emporia State University in 1976. Not quite sure what he was going to do with an art major other than teach, he decided to return to his home town of Monte Vista, Colorado to help operate his family business. For ten years, Tom spent the evenings and his spare time teaching himself drawing and painting in the more traditional sense rather than the non-objective abstract approach he learned in college. He read instructional books about various mediums and also studied many of the great masters. Tom entered art shows and art fairs as time would allow away from the family furniture business. In 1986 he decided to paint full-time. He soon realized his limitations and that he needed further instruction. Lockhart was advised to get his Masters Degree in Art but once again discovered this was not the direction for him. After reading various art magazines, he found that painting workshops were offered by artists working in the same manner or style in which he was interested. Lockhart has studied with artists such as Ted Goershner, Ray Vinella, Gerald Fritzler, Lowell Ellsworth Smith, Irvine Shapiro, Carlton Plummer, Skip Whitcomb, Wayne Wolfe, and Ralph Oberg. With this training and further self-study, Lockhart began to concentrate on painting outdoors and experiencing nature first-hand. Encouraged by friends and fellow artists, Lockhart continues to travel and paint outdoors as much as possible. He says, “It’s all out there in front of you. God has given you the best material and now you must interpret nature your way. Painting from life has lifted my soul to another level and I am constantly yearning to get out there and paint.” Lockhart continues to travel the southwestern canyons of Arizona and Utah and the northern villages of New Mexico as well as the Rocky Mountains and the coast of Maine. He looks for every opportunity to find new, inspiring subject matter but also returns to many of his favorite sites looking for a new angle or the way light has changed the subject. Tom Lockhart has been included in many national and regional juried exhibitions and has won numerous awards. He is a new member of the NWR Group (Northwest Rendezvous of Art), is a Signature Member of Oil Painters of America, a Signature Member of the Rocky Mountain Plein Air Painters, and has won the Silver Medal for Region III in the National Arts for the Parks. He has exhibited with the International Pastel Society and was part of the Forbes Magazine Gallery Exhibition in New York City and San Francisco. Tom has also exhibited with the Colorado Governor’s Show in Loveland, Colorado. He was named Colorado Artist of the Year for Ducks Unlimited and his art has helped benefit the Colorado Wildlife Society. He has been featured in the Art of the West Magazine and Watercolor Magazine. Lockhart’s work is included in many corporate and private collections here and abroad. |
