Art / Artist of the Month
Artist of the Month: Tom White
This month’s artist is Tom White, whose original Vauxhall Bridge painting and several limited edition prints are exclusively available through our online shop.
“My father was a painter and he taught me to draw and paint,” explains cityscape painter Tom White. “I’ve been involved in the art world since childhood. I studied Fine Art at UWE and have a gallery, Clifton Fine Art, on Perry Road in the Christmas Steps Arts Quarter.”
Tom describes opening his own gallery several years ago as one of his career highlights, and sees the city as a good place to be based as an artist. “Bristol’s art scene is extremely vibrant,” he explains. “A truly eclectic and talented mix of artists is based here, and I count myself very lucky to know several through the gallery and art fairs. The street art further enhances the city’s profile in the arts domain, and is something I try and capture in many of my pieces.”
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Being based in the bustling heart of Bristol has also been a major source of inspiration for Tom’s own work. “I’m a cityscape painter who focusses on the less iconic corners of our cities, in order to capture the charisma, humour and beauty of a particular district,” he explains. This is epitomised in the work he has for sale through Bristol24/7, simply titled Vauxhall Bridge.
“I love Bristol’s bridges. Whilst I avoid the Clifton Suspension Bridge, as it has been painted so many times, I am drawn to the less famous but equally beautiful ones, such as Vauxhall Bridge in this painting, with its brilliant early morning and evening shadows.
“It’s not the bridge necessarily that I’m interested in – it’s more catching everyday corners of the city that express its character and charisma in the most effective way. The bridges in Bristol are characterful and very eclectic in style and convey a strong sense of place.”
“I tend to do a sketch in acrylics on the spot, waiting around for a passer-by or car to quickly include. I usually paint early in the morning to get the best light and those brilliant long shadows that many miss on their way to work. I also take video footage and use that to help me finish the painting in the studio later.”
Profits from the sale of Tom’s work will go to Second Step, the South West’s leading mental health charity, who provide all sorts of support to people in need. “I have a long association with the charity and did my first Bristol show in collaboration with them. All too often, mental health goes unobserved and issues can snowball, but Second Step offer amazing services and, importantly, someone to talk to,” Tom explains.
Keep up to date with Tom’s latest work at www.cliftonfineart.com/artist/tom-white.
See all the work available from Tom and our previous featured artists at b247.staging.proword.press/shop.
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