Big Horn Galleries is proud to represent the artwork of Tom Blazier.  Drama, mood and atmosphere are what takes center stage in Tom's work.  Skies, the source of light, are an important component of his work - either as the primary subject or an indirect player in setting the emotional and visual tone for the subject.  Tom seeks to convey and enhance subtle nuances of mood through careful observation and skillful application of paint.  The result is often luminous and ethereal.  At other times contrasts are well defined and powerful.  "Whether the subject is a towering cumulus above a high desert expanse or the yellow glow cast on rocky cliffs at sunset, my paintings are an expression of the breathtaking beauty of the Southwest landscape." 

Tom's formative years were punctuated by changes in residence between Pennsylvania and Arizona.  The contrasts in environment and culture were a source of creative inspiration for him.   As a young adult, Tom attended Northern Arizona University, where he received a BFA degree in studio painting in 1981.  In 1994, Tom took a hiatus from his fine art career to attend graduate school in journalism.  Tom never drifted far from his interest in art though, working as a freelance illustrator and designing editorial art for news and arts magazines and papers. He returned to his first love, however, in 2008, pursuing his love of painting.  Inspired by the American Southwest, he continues that pursuit, dividing his time between outdoor studies and studio work as well as teaching oil landscape painting classes and workshops. 

Like many contemporary landscape painters, Tom has rediscovered and gained a greater appreciation for the works of 19th century landscape painters and the foundation they laid for present-day painters. Exposure to the works of these artists have given him a better sense of his own artistic identity. "Advances in scientific understanding of the natural world and a changing culture continue to influence new ways of seeing and artistic expression, but the core appeal of nature continues to be its awe factor, mystery and mood. This is what I attempt to convey in my work."