Tom Blanck is a landscape oil painter. His favorite subject matter is a scene that reveals man's interaction with the land. He is drawn to villages, cityscapes, bridges, and farmsteads. It is the human connection to the land to color, light, line, harmony that inspires his art and has defined his work as an architect and self-taught art historian. From an early age, art was his career goal. But he was dissuaded of this notion when a more pragmatic-minded school counselor advised him to pursue a related field with greater earning potential; he chose architecture. This nod to pragmatism led to a truly interesting and rewarding career, but did not extinguish the passion he felt for his first love painting. Three major influences have informed his painting: formal classes, studying and conserving paintings Tom has collected over the years, and painting with other artists. The more he paints, the more he learns and enjoys creating art. His preferred method of painting is to study a landscape or scene from several angles until he understands its qualities. No doubt, this is the architect in him speaking, at least in part. He then determines a view based on how the composition will appear in the painting. A good painting, like a well-designed home, is a celebration of the human spirit, an invitation to share, and a reminder, whether subtle or bold, of the importance of beauty and balance in life.

Tom Blanck and Connie Misener will be creating new paintings during Fresh Art Tour at Tom's Stockholm studio.