The paintings that hang in an artist’s home are special in two ways. One being most of them are the artist’s and second, the ones that are not become even more alluring.
Tom is sorry to say that all the paintings in his home are his and valued by his wife to the level that they are not for sale even though she says that when company is present.
The works in the studio are more important to Tom and probably do not have the cache to be hung in the lower levels.

Main Floor

Humidifier Painting, 4' x 5'

Mike Fink's Restaurant; Covington, Kentucky, Oil on canvas, May 15th, 1978, 28" x 18"

Home Portraits

Bahamian Home, 20" x 16", Watercolor, 1995

Irene and Helen, Oil on canvas, 5' x 4', 2005

Li Lac Chocolates, Christopher St, NYC, 12" x 16", Oil on canvas, 1994

Mount Denali, Alaska, June 20 1994, Oil on canvas, 40" x 30"

Alaska Painting

Zurich I, 6" x 4", Oil pastel on paper

Helen, 36" x 40", oil on canvas, painted for the 2006 Tall Stacks Celebration in Cincinnati

Hong Kong Harbor, 10" x 8", oil on canvas, Fall 1996

Painted from life during a trip to the Orient After taking a slow boat to china and the bullet train back. Tom's wife assisted him in setting up his easel outside the art museum and painting this view of Hong Kong proper. Normally all the boats in the painting can be seen traveling to and fro accept the junk. Mostly seen are the ferryboats and floating cranes that unload all the cargo in the harbor. Above is a building in the form of a Shinto Shrine at Victoria Peak.

Dick Foster

Hiroshima mon Amore

Peggy, 20" x 16", Oil on canvas Tom's mother painted from life over the periods of a few days.

Lohre Family

Delta Queen Landing at Cincinnati, Oil on canvas, 24" x 20", Print

This painting is the companion of Tom's earlier, same size work of South Street Seaport. His sister and her husband commissioned the two of them six years ago. Tom delivered the first painting in the Spring of 1992 and now is glad to deliver the second. It took so long because of the massive detail in the work and the resolve not to deliver a inferior work. It was Tom's intention to rival all other work in these two paintings. The first work was of the restored seaport in New York City near Wall Street. It had about thirty people on board the schooner "Pioneer" and about the same number on the wharf. In this "Delta Queen" painting there were substantially more people.

The paintings shows the steamboat Delta Queen just finished docking at Cincinnati Landing. To the left of the Queen is the ermanently moored showboat Majestic. In the distance you can see the traditional river front of Covington, Kentucky with its famous suspension bridge built by John Robeling and finished in 1860. Just behind the bridge is the modern office tower and contemporary Covington Landing.

Tom used hundreds of photographs and on site painting for the painting. He took many photographs of the all three of the "Tall Stacks" celebrations in Cincinnati, Ohio. During the year, while the Delta Queen was docked where it is now in the painting, Tom would be there studying and recording all the details that would be used for the painting. Tom obtained floor plans of the Delta Queen so he could reproduce the boat to the point you could recognize any part of the boat.

On shore, Tom used people he knew to populate it. He hired a horse drawn carriage and had his wife, his brother Steve and his wife Becky pose, riding in the carriage. The carriage is owned by his high school classmate, John Meyer. You can read the telephone number on the back of the carriage. For the mounted horseman Tom used his friend, Chester Salisbury and his horse Molly. On shore from left to right are a little girl Tom saw during one of the Queen's many arrivals in Cincinnati. His sister Susan, the owner of the painting and her son, Mikey Gabel. Far behind his sister are two children along the water's edge. Then there is Doctor Larry Johnson, Edna Rosenberg, Tom Umfrid and Chuck Jordan. Below Chuck Jordan is a baby carriage and a small girl. Next in the far background is R_, Tom's mentor and teacher of many years. Once again there is Mikey Gabel, Tom's nephew and his Father, Dr. Michael Gabel. To the right of Dr. Gabel is a backpacking girl Tom saw at one of the "Tall Stack" celebrations and next to her is legendary river man, Captain John Beatty. Tom's first job was working for Captain Beatty as a deckhand on his floating restaurant the Mike Fink's. Later Tom would work with Captain Beatty during his salvage operations. Captain Beatty had a tremendous impact on Tom and it is this impact that has driven him to do this and other Ohio River paintings. It is Tom's mission to preserve Captain Beatty's memory in a series of paintings of him and his doings on the river.

After Captain Beatty are two sophisticated women who represent the many clients of Tom's. In the foreground are two of Tom's cousins and above them is another girl Tom found in one of his many photographs of the view. Tom, himself comes next as a large foreground figure and next to him is his identical twin brother, Chuck. In between them are several of the employees of the Delta Queen going over the details of the arrival. To finish off the view are a few of the period dressed characters hired by the Queen for the passengers and finally some of the crew members tending to the mooring.

On the gang plank are the waiters of the Queen putting on a show for the tourists in the manner of a Mari Gras Celebration. On the "Showboat Majestic's" upper deck are two actresses and going to the right of them are the passengers of the steamboat. On top of it all is the pilot surveying the docking.

Second Floor

Cincinnati Girl, 12" x 16", oil on canvas, 2000

AT&T Office Atrium, 16" x 20", Oil on canvas

South Street Seaport, New York City, 40" x 30", 1996, Print

Scallop Hunter, 10" x 8", Oil on canvas, 1985; Painted for Tom’s father on his birthday, of the scallop fishermen of Nantucket Sound. One of two paintings the other whereabouts unknown.

Studio

The painting was later displayed at an art show and Tom used a ready made frame but had to add 4 inches to the bottom of the painting bringing it to the original size of the work in the museum. Not being allowed to copy a work with the same size canvas, Tom made the copy size 30" x 36". A 4" x 30" inch canvas strecher was made and bolted to the bottom of the copy. Gesso was laid in the crack till it was smooth enough to paint on. You see this rather often in musems. The painting hangs on the third floor waiting for the son in the painting to pick it up.

Mother Daughter VIII, Second state, 20" x 24", Tuesday, November 25, 2014, Portraits, Figure

Complete Works, Portraits, Landscapes, Still Lifes, Sculpture, Lego Robot Artist...

Paintings in the Home of Irene and Tom

in Faux Gold Frames

Main Floor

Second Floor

Studio