Tom Meyers
Tom Meyers
Tom was born in Omaha, Nebraska in 1956. Second oldest of eight siblings, he showed artistic talent at an early age, giving a demonstration to a PTA gathering when he was five. Because drawing and painting came easily to him, he failed to grasp the value of instruction and practice. Not until college did he begin to realize that talent can be developed and raised. An incomplete minor in Art at UNO taught him much of technical drawing and close observation of subject matter.
He did not pursue a career in art until 1995 when his Husker poster sold nearly 500 copies. Ten years with Jay Tschetter's crew at Images in Brick taught scale and precision. Twelve years and thousands of chalkboards at Old Chicago restaurants taught him the value of repetition and long, extended sessions of drawing.
Now he bounces between fine art and commercial signage and menu boards. He says he has felt like a real artist only for the last few years. He is happily married to Suzy with whom he has raised three great kids.
My definition of art is "the skillful use of media to express an idea or convey an experience". I try to show that some skill has been applied to my work. My work is mostly realistic, representational stuff which is accessible without being condescending. It is work that I hope will bring pleasure to the viewer and which will remain interesting into the future, partly because the marks are clear. I try to avoid clichés and sentimentality while still reaching for purely visual beauty. The work should speak for itself without enigmatic titles.
