Born in Montrose in 1951, Tom studied drawing and painting at Edinburgh College of Art from 1971 - 1975 under Philipson, Peploe, Cumming and Michie. A career in teaching followed, ultimately working as Head of Art at James Gillespie’s High School in Edinburgh. During this time most of his paintings were commissioned pieces. Tom left teaching in 1991 and thereafter he has devoted himself entirely to painting.
Tom has always been fascinated by the effect of light and colour on his surroundings. His subjects have included the small fishing villages of Fife, the canals of Venice and the Tuscan and Gascon countryside. He settled with his family in South-West France and responded to the warm dappled sunlight around him in the harbours of the Mediterranean and the outdoor life of the local people until late 2017. He has since returned to Scotland and is now in the process of setting up a new home and studio.
Tom’s paintings are to be found in the collections of The Royal Bank of Scotland, Clydesdale Bank, PriceWaterhouseCoopers, West Lothian District Council, the Sutherland Regional Authority and Boland Limited as well as in many private collections throughout the UK, France, Germany, Canada, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur and South Africa.