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A
native of Wisconsin, Shropshire’s interest in art began at a very early
age. In grade school he was considered the class artist by his
classmates. At the age of thirteen, Shropshire began his first
professional training in an adult class with renowned watercolorist Earl
Gessert. By age fifteen, he had an agent in Chicago, a solo exhibition
of his work, and was competing and winning awards in exhibitions at a
national level. His career, begun as a child prodigy, has spanned over
four decades and continues to evolve even today.
Shropshire remained primarily a watercolorist for a period of ten years
until he was introduced to the then “new” medium of acrylic paints. He
quickly adapted this medium to his own distinctive style. Currently, the
majority of his paintings are acrylics on canvas, however, there remains
evident, the spontaneous and transparent qualities associated with
traditional watercolor techniques. Perhaps this is because many of his
present working techniques were actually derived from his early
watercolor training. For example, he often dampens his canvas with a
sponge, underpainting directly on the wet surface. Many of his glazing
methods are likewise carryovers from his experience with watercolor
washes. Of course, watercolor techniques alone did not begin to exhaust
the full potential of the new medium. Acrylics on canvas required
learning entirely new approaches as well, and these Shropshire has
mastered.
The Potawatomi Casino of Milwaukee commissioned Shropshire to create a
series of paintings featuring Wisconsin Native American Dancers. The six
paintings that comprise the “Living Legacy Collection” of
Limited Edition Prints have
been featured nationally on the covers of the Indian Gaming
Magazine and were showcased by the Milwaukee Public Museum in
conjunction with the opening of their Native American exhibit, “A
Tribute To Survival.”
Aside from his technical skill, his current work also reflects his
lifetime interest in mythology, folklore and legend. Paintings of
romanticized landscapes, figures, and settings, with elements of these
influences, are painted in a style that pays tribute to the epic
paintings of the past. Symbolism and strong figurative elements are
combined to form surprising compositions, sometimes haunting, sometimes
whimsical, but always unique. He calls his style of painting
“traditional with a twist”.
After a chance meeting in 2004 between artist Walter Maes, Tom
Shropshire, and their spouses, they discovered a common interest in art.
The couples soon became close friends. When Walter opened
Riverbirch Gallery, he
invited Tom to exhibit his paintings and become an art instructor in the
classroom studio. Walt’s vision was that the gallery would be “A gallery
with an art school inside”. Tom began a new phase of his long career and
is currently teaching Acrylic
Painting Classes for beginners, and intermediate level artists at
the gallery.
Artist Tom Shropshire has won numerous awards during his career and his
paintings are represented in many private and corporate collections as
well as museums and Tribal Centers throughout the country.
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