Inspiring Smiles Forever
Complete Works, Portraits, Landscapes, Still Lifes, Sculpture, Lego Artist...
Sign up for yearly notices by sending an e-mail to newart-subscribe@tomlohre.com
Post comments on
https://www.facebook.com/artisthos/
Lincoln Earl Dawson "The Missing Lnk", 12" x 16", Oil pastel
melted on metal, May 2020
June 9, 1962-May 22, 2020
Link entered this world with physical disabilities, a great mind and an even
greater heart. His early years dealing with physical handicaps, painful medical
treatments, and social acceptance issues, only strengthened his determination
for achievement.
A graduate of South Lenoir High, Link furthered his education at Lenoir Community
College. After working in various positions, he started his own business operating
a community store. He later launched a technical support and computer repair
business named ‘The Missing Link’ .
His love of people and his art of storytelling became his trademark, but his
desire to help others was always his priority. He felt it was because of the
physical limitations and challenges he faced in life, that he was able to offer
genuine compassion and heartfelt counsel to anyone who needed a friend .
He loved to share hope, encouragements, and his faith, declaring what the Lord
had done for Him.
Perfect North Ski Resort VII, Oil pastel on metal, 8" x 10", January 29, 2017
Set up for working with 1/8" oil pastels.
133 colors according to the classic row pallett. Selecting the right color and value made easy.
133 1/8" color sticks in their corresponding dispenser per the guide above.
133 extra 1/8" color sticks in bottles.
Melting Oil Pastels as a Painting Method
The technique was invented for the Lego painting machine. The machine needed a great stroke and melting oil pastels on hot metal delivered a great stroke.
The robot painted ten works.
These colorful artworks are painted with blobs. Tom’s blob painting started in 1980 when he made a machine that painted. He was painting impressionistic works one right after another and thought he could make a machine to do this. In 2003 he discovered Lego MindStorm Invention System and spent four years learning the software. On January 5th, 2007 at 9 p.m. he cracked the code to write a program that took information from an image in the computer and fed it to a painting machine. The painting machine was a classical assistant. It laid one of eight colors in generally the correct spot.
The painting machine needed a great stroke to be successful. Tom cannot remember the exact time he thought of melting wax on hot metal to make a stroke but it was a beautiful stroke with a velvety surface and heavy impasto. Sakura oil pastels are melted and mixed into a certain color in a dish on a hot plate then sucked into a brass tube, cooled and extruded. The Lego MindStorm Invention System painting machine did ten works. The next painting machine will surf the Web for a paintable image then paint it automatously.
Tom carried on the tradition, morphing the technique to paint in hotel rooms for it did not smell and produced a beautiful impressionistic surface. It is also easy to set up and take down excellent for en plien air work as long as you had an outlet.
Eventually Tom discovered a heat gun used for removing paint would heat surface quickly in the area being worked on, instead of heating the whole surface with a hot plate.
At first Tom used metal to paint on but then he discovered he could paint even on paper being careful not to burn the surface. Some of the metal canvas was shiny and the small spaces between the paint reflected light and added to the effect of the painting like adding a third light flux, a curious and novel advantage.
Tom invented this painting technique. Sakura, the company that supplies the oil pastels he uses features his work on their web site. Although working with wax, called encaustic has been around for centuries; he has not found another working in this manner on the Internet.
Once cooled the work will stay in place unless heated to 255 degrees, at 155
degrees you can manipulate the oil pastel without having the oil pastel move
towards gravity. In the beginning he made 1/4" sticks by sucking hot wax
into brass tubes and extruding it before it cooled. Then made the crayons 1/8"adapting
twistable crayon holders to hold the fragile crayon, organizing them in the
cases they came in making a small palette of 133 colors in 11 columns by 12
rows. Storing the extra crayons in 133 plastic bottles in a box arranged in
11 columns by 12 rows. It is a traditional palette with colors going from light
to dark and red to violet with a gray row on the right side. The system works
flawlessly in an hotel room with no smell and all the benefits of impressionist
oil paintings without the wet canvas.
The robot painter used eight colors and finding out just what those colors were, lead Tom to nine special colors. Color printing reduces realism into four colors, Tom reduced realism to nine colors. Each of the nine colors selected set off an alarm in Tom’s head. After ten years of attempts to expand or improve the color set, he has not changed them. These colors are so important they need introductions.
1st is white for obvious reasons playing the first in the gray scale.
All nine colors act as an incremental step through the gray scale. When photographed with a black and white camera the colors act as clear steps from white to a value nine.
There is no color darker than a value nine keeping the painting vibrant.
2nd is light yellow, highlighting the face, creating the sun glinted land and acts as the yellow in clouds.
3rd is light blue playing a major role for sky and light shadow.
4th is light green holding down the role of young growth and early shadow in the face.
5th is yellow ochre is the third gray scale in the face as well as burnt grass and light wood.
6th is Nantucket red is the fourth color in the face gray scale and if unique being the only red in the palette. It is blood, bramble and dark wood.
7th is dark blue the third gray scale for the sky, early shadow for the face, periwinkle for clothes and reflections for water.
8th is dark violet is the first definer of cool shadow, black, hair and deep sky.
9th is dark evergreen for deepest close shadow, black, dense growth and hair.
It is hard to believe that with just these colors you can create full color and exact realism if you stand far enough away from the canvas. Once up close the painting becomes a bouquet of flowers. Painting with blobs lends itself to familiarity. The visceral manner guided by classical illustration. Each stroke takes on more significance. Reality reduced to something a printer would do but when the artist reduces the scene to a few blobs that still has the scene then now that’s painting. Each round edged blob means more. The blob represents the reality of painting in the classical manner. Tom creates the pattern for each color by applying various image techniques to isolate each color using PhotoShop. A black and white or color image can be used or just a line drawing. He paints with the nine colors till the painting comes together in the computer then transfers each color pattern to the canvas, finishing by refining the edges and effective placement of the blobs.
Tom applies the special palette in various forms, oil paint, acrylic and melting
fancy crayons on metal, scraped canvas and paper.
Ben's Girlfriend, 24" x 36", Oil pastel melted on scraped canvas, unfinished, Special nine color painting manner using 1/8" oil pastel sticks
Detail of lower left hand corner
It is done in Tom's special nine color painting manner.
The patron wants the flowers very heavy in paint. Painting these works bymelting
oil pastels (wax) on a surface heated with a heat gun. While looking at the
finished surface you would not think it was anything but paint. You correct
passages by scrapping off the wax and then reapplying. The finished painting
is flawless as far as its execution is.
Anthony's Birthday Present, 12" x 16", Oil pastel on metal, Special nine color painting manner using 1/8" oil pastel sticks, Ooctober 10, 2016
Modified black and white image into a nine color painting.
Perfect North VI, Oil pastel on metal, 1/8" crayons, 20" x 16", Sunday, January 25, 2016
42' Yacht Fiona Crossing Bay of Biscay, 16" x 12", Oil pastel on board, Saturday, November 28, 2015
Emma Lou, 4" x 6", Oil pastel on paper
42' Yacht Fiona Crossing Bay of Biscay, 16" x 12", Oil pastel on board, Saturday, November 28, 2015
Ocean Explorer, 16" x 12", Oil pastel on board, Thursday, November 26, 2015
Zurich II, 6" x 4", Oil pastel on board, heating gessoed board with 1/8" crayons
Second North Atlantic Crossing I, 4" x 5.5", oil pastel melted on paper, September 29, 2015
Zurich I, 6" x 4", Oil pastel on paper
An Early Pallette
Esquire Theater and Clifton Market, 16" x 12", September 9, 2015, Oil pastel on metal
Clifton Firehouse, Fountain and Esquire; 16" X 12", July 15, 2015, Oil pastel on metal
Holidays on Ludlow IV, 36" x 24", October 13, 2015, Oil pastel on metal
Holidays on Ludlow III, Oil pastel on metal, 24" x 18", Finished September 17, 2015
Lake Tahoe, Oil
pastel on metal, 12" x 16" x 28 gauge metal, April 10,
2015; Framed in a Neapolitan style simulated gold leaf over clay over wood with
no seam in corners.
This work was created while vacationing in Lake Tahoe. After studying the landscape
Tom settled on this view as the quintessential Tahoe. A snow boarder flying
through the air, passing a tall snow covered pine with the lake in the distance.
The raw outdoors drives the allure of Tahoe. Hiking, biking, sailing, kayaking
and skiing all make the area a dream of physicality.
These frames are from a Route 66 episode highlighting Squaw Valley right after the Olympics.
Squaw Valley Ski Resort II, Oil
pastel on metal, 16" x 12" x 28, April 5, 2014; gauge metal,
Finished April 6, 2015, Framed in a Neapolitan style simulated gold leaf over
clay over wood with no seam in corners.
This work was done at the base of Squaw Valley while his daughter skied the
last of the snow. Tom was nursing a knee replacement since he broke his leg
at the knee on Center Stage at Perfect North on March 15, The Ides of March.
Tom learned that sitting at the base painting the hill was not the right way
to paint Tahoe. He needed to paint the Tahoe in your mind, the lake, the deep
powder, the physical outdoors.
Squaw Valley Ski Resort I, Oil pastel on metal, 16" x 12" x 28 gauge metal, finished April 2, 2015, Framed in a Neapolitan style simulated gold leaf over clay over wood with no seam in corners. On March 15, 2014 Tom was skiing and fell breaking his left leg at the knee. After knee replacement surgery he now takes his daughter to the slopes and paints. This work was done at the base of Squaw Valley. You can see K2 off to the left. The second image is from “Effigy in Snow” a Route 66 episode. Things have not changed much as far as the hills but many slopes have been added since the winter Olympics were brought to the valley. In the lower right of the painting is the small pond that leads to the rooms.
Tyler Davidson Fountain ILVII Cincinnati Ohio Impressionist Oil Painting, 8" x 10" x .016” x 2 oz., Oil pastel on melted on shiny duct metal. Framed in a Neapolitan style simulated gold leaf over clay over wood with no seam in corners
Perfect North V, Oil pastel on metal, 20" x 16", Sunday, February 8, 2015
Perfect North Slopes IV, Finished Saturday, January 24, 2015, 8" x 10" x .016” x 2 oz., Oil pastel on melted on shiny duct metal. Framed in a Neapolitan style simulated gold leaf over clay over wood with no seam in corners weighing 2.5 pounds
Perfect North V, Oil pastel on metal, 20" x 16", Sunday, February 8, 2015
Perfect North Slopes III, Finished Tuesday, January 6, 2015, 8" x 10" x .016” x 2 oz., Oil pastel on melted on shiny duct metal. Framed in a Neapolitan style simulated gold leaf over clay over wood with no seam in corners weighing 2.5 pounds
Perfect North II, Oil pastel melted on metal, 10" x 8", Monday, December 29, 2014
Mount Adams XIII, Oil pastel melted on metal, 36" x 18", December 23, 2014
Superior Honda, Oil pastel melted on metal, 10" x 8", January 6, 2015
Fountain Square LXIX, Oil pastel melted on metal, 18" x 36", Saturday, January 3, 2015
Fountain Square LXXI, Glowing oil pastel on metal, 12" x 16", Tuesday,
Janaury 20, 2015
Tom started working with glow in the dark colors while developing his Lego painting
machine in 2003. The addition of new colors stymied Tom till 2015 when he was
willing to advance the process dovetailing it with his March 2015 Show.
There are two aspects of glow in the dark. Some of the colors can be seen and
other colors are colored with an approximation of the glow color. For now, Tom
will be using the glow colors for skies and reflection of the sky on the water.
Tom developed an applicator to facilitate thicker glow color for the daylight
version to show an opaque surface.
Esquire Theater IV, Ludlow Avenue, Cincinnati Ohio, 24" x 18", Oil pastel melted on metal, December 16, 2014
Esquire Theater III, Ludlow Avenue, Cincinnati Ohio, 24" x 18", Oil pastel melted on metal, December 4, 2014
Perfect North I, Oil pastel on metal, 10" x 8", November 28, 2014
Clifton Gaslight Balcony II , Cincinnati; 24" x 20", Oil on 25 gauge galvanized metal
Shelter House Video
Devou Park, Covington, Kentucky, Shelter House, 20" x 16", oil pastel
on metal, September 13, 2014
Tom grew up at the corner on Montague and Breckinridge. He remembers seeing
the nightly dances at the shelter house when the juke box would play every night
and the cars would line up and drive by. David Mann was a young driving teen
at the time. Something happened to stop the impromptu dances for they stopped
around 1959. Later, after “The Great Escape” with Steve McQueen,
motorcycles would drive over the hills of the park and they put a stop to that.
He remembers every picnic table filled on the weekend. Ball fields were every
twelve-hundred feet full of players till well after dusk.
Auctioned off at 2014 FreshArt, Berhringer-Crawford Museum, 1600 Montague Road
- Devou Park Covington, KY 41011 859-491-4003
http://www.bcmuseum.org
Gaylord Texan River Walk, April 26, 2013, 10" x 8", oil pastel on aluminum, nine color palette
Esquire IV, Oil pastel on metal, 24" x 18", December 16, 2014
Tyler Davidson Fountain ILVII Cincinnati Ohio Impressionist Oil Painting, 8" x 10" x .016” x 2 oz., Oil pastel on melted on shiny duct metal. Framed in a Neapolitan style simulated gold leaf over clay over wood with no seam in corners weighing 2.5 pounds
Ceasar Creek Glider Port, Waynesville, Ohio, 16" x 12", Oil on aluminum, July 14, 2013
Gaylord Texas Station, 10" x 8", Oil pastel on aluminum, May 4, 2013
Grapevine Lake, Dallas Texas, May 5, 2013, 8" x 10", oil pastel on aluminum, nine color palette
These paintings are done on a hot plate. Tom heats up a metal canvas and melts fancy crayons on the surface. Sometimes Tom plugs into the street light boxes to power the heating element. A busy body called the police and complained Tom was using City power so they sent two officers to shut him down. Later he found out the Clifton Business and Professional Association owns the sockets so there is no problem using them. He uses a round tray of wax sticks as his palette. The fun part of this technique is you select the color stick and melt it on the surface without going to the palette to reload your brush. This makes for intense work. You are not distracted by changing brushes, mixing color or reloading the brush. The canvas started as aluminum then 30 gauge galvanized duct material, now it is 30 gauge resin coated flashing metal. The heater has magnets so the metal canvas sticks to the surface. You move the metal around to heat only the surface you are working on.
The color wheel palette of oil pastels on a rotating pedestal with values of colors from light to dark.
Ski Bunny, 12" x 16", Oil on 20 gauge metal, January 9, 2014
Telford Avenue III, 20 " x 16", Oil pastel melted on thirty gauge
metal, February 2, 2014
The scene was painted from life in the Om Café during the Sunday Jazz
brunch. The snow conditions give it a somber mood blotting out most of the detail.
Tom’s intention is to paint Clifton Gaslight’s Ludlow Avenue over
and over in the tradition of the Parisian masters. The new manner makes this
possible by delivering a riveting, alive, work that breaks new ground for an
appreciating audience.
Clifton Gaslight III, 12" x 16", Oil pastel melted on thirty gauge metal, February 8, 2014
Finished. Inspired by Edouard Cortez, Eugene Galien-Laloue, Luigi Loir and Jean Beraud. The rough work is the new rough. The color wax sticks melted onto a hot metal is alive even after it cools. In the past Tom relied on the time of day painting in the street to dictate the light and color of the painting but now he needs to give the painting everything it needs. In the past he shied away from dawn or dusk paintings thinking it was kitsch, low-brow style of mass-produced art or design using popular or cultural icons. This new medium wants him paint all the light effects.
The scene is from “Holidays on Ludlow” with the horse drawn carriage lmaking the turn from Clifton to Ludlow. Inspired by Edouard Cortez, Eugene Galien-Laloue, Luigi Loir and Jean Beraud. The rough work is the new rough. The color wax sticks melted onto a hot metal is alive even after it cools. In the past Tom relied on the time of day painting in the street to dictate the light and color of the painting but now he needs to give the painting everything it needs. In the past he shied away from dawn or dusk paintings thinking it was kitsch, low-brow style of mass-produced art or design using popular or cultural icons. This new medium wants him paint all the light effects.
Perfect North I, Oil pastel on metal, 10" x 8", November 28, 2014
Telford Avenue III, 20 " x 16", Oil pastel melted on thirty gauge
metal, February 2, 2014
The scene was painted from life in the Om Café during the Sunday Jazz
brunch. The snow conditions give it a somber mood blotting out most of the detail.
Tom’s intention is to paint Clifton Gaslight’s Ludlow Avenue over
and over in the tradition of the Parisian masters. The new manner makes this
possible by delivering a riveting, alive, work that breaks new ground for an
appreciating audience.
Clifton Gaslight IV, 20” x 16", Oil pastel melted on thirty gauge
metal, February 26, 2014
The scene is from Holidays on Ludlow” with the horse drawn carriage picking
up passengers in front of Graeter’s Ice Cream. The sky and street are
enhanced by rendering them with high key color, each area having many colors
from the complete spectrum.
Ludlow Garage, 16" x 12", Oil on 30 gauge metal, January 18, 2014
Painted from inside Dan's Clifton Barbers on a winter’s day alluding to snow covering the street and no cars. A lone woman walks her dog in the middle of the street. Tom took images of people passing by all day and put one in the painting. Sitting in the barber shop all day may you feel like you were a barber? The endless discussion between barber and client is a unique. Dan and Susan carefully address their client and make a smooth transition into a comfortable banter that continues as the client steers the discussion. The barber shop was chosen for it commanding view of the main architectural building of Ludlow Avenue, the Ludlow Garage. Originally an auto shop now a restaurant, Olives, with a large expanse of space in the back that is an Ace Hardware store. Upstairs is a long standing It’s Yoga salon. The style of the building is regal made of limestone and clay tile roof.
Telford Avenue II, 16" x 12", Oil on 30 gauge metal, January 19, 2014
Painted from inside the Om Café on a winter’s day emulating snow covering everything, cars covered with heaps of snow an no one driving. A lone woman walks across the street looking at her cell phone. It was Sunday and a Jazz band from Cincinnati’s Conservatory of Music played during brunch. Tom was right up there with the band grooving on the music as he painted. This work represents best the pointillism effect of the quarter inch crayons. Each stroke takes up the roll of several regular strokes. Just the slightest daub brings real character to the figure and architecture. You can even see she is looking at cell phone.
Telford Avenue, Clifton, Cincinnati; 16" x 12", Oil pastel on aluminum, July 20, 2013
Always looking for new views of his neighborhood village, Tom still returns to the old standards like this view of a small side street off Ludlow. On the right is a popular fine restaurant, La poste, to the left is Graeter’s Ice Cream. The stately apartment building on the right attached to the newer but still charming brick apartment building that anchors the corner make up the charming architecture. To the left, a simple yellow brick apartment building completes the classic one perspective composition.
Clifton Gaslight II, Cincinnati; 16" x 20", Oil pastel on aluminum, July 25, 2013
Refining the classic gaslight view in this larger canvas of the melted manner, the larger size brings the colors together explaining the features better. Juggling the metal held onto the hot plate with magnets works best with this size. All the visual elements of the gaslight district are present, the swirling balconies on the right, the classic Esquire movie theater in the center and the bohemian Sitwell’s Coffee House on the left. The daytime sunny color rendered in bright colors whether in shade or sun.
Ludlow and Telford Avenues III, Clifton, Cincinnati; 16" x 12", Oil pastel on aluminum, July 15, 2013
Painted from life in Clifton Plaza, Tom plugged into the socket on the street lamps to power the hot plate that heated the metal so the color could be melted onto it. A busy body called the police to stop Tom from stealing the power from the City. Two officers showed up to forcing Tom to immediately stop. Later it was discovered the power is paid for by the Clifton Business and Professional Association which condones the use. Sitting in one location for five hours, you see the world past by and sometimes throwing a wrench.
Clifton Gaslight, Cincinnati, Ohio, July 10, 2013, 16" x 12", Oil pastel on aluminum, painted from life
The Beach Water Park, 16" x 12", Oil pastel on aluminum, August 15, 2013
Crew Tower, Cincinnati, Ohio; 12" x 16", Oil on aluminum, August 30, 2013
Come spring or fall Tom goes to Fountain Square and paints. This painting shows the evolution of the motif. The Crew Tower takes center stage with the Tyler Davidson Fountain taking second fiddle. Since they moved the fountain, Tom finds this view rewarding. He looks forward to developing this motif further. In the old days he would paint from the second floor of the Weston Hotel. The bird’s eye view was especially well composed. Working indoors allowed him to paint in the winter.
Ludlow Village II, Clifton Gaslight, Cincinnati, Ohio, July 1, 2013, 16"
x 12", Oil pastel on aluminum, this is the second of six works painted
on location on Clifton Plaza on Ludlow Avenue in Clifton a neighborhood of Cincinnati
in the summer. Tom lives nearby. This was his second series of works painted
on Ludlow. He used an unconventional painting manner melting fancy crayons on
hot metal.
To the right through the trees is the Esquire Theater. The building featured
houses Pangaea, a women’s clothing store and Sitwell’s Coffee Shop.
To the left is Telford Street. Tom is thinking of opening a window box gallery
between the Esquire and Sitwell’s. There is a closet in Sitwell’s
where the back wall is the street front. Tom would put a picture window in the
wall.
Ludlow and Telford Avenues I, Clifton, Cincinnati; 16" x 12", Oil on aluminum, July 1, 2013
Fountain Square XL, May 24, 2013, 12" x 16", Oil pastel on aluminum, Adaption of a 1994 series of fountain paintings done on the skywalk during a festival. The series of four are bird-eye views done on location near the fountain but not actuality seeing the fountain. The buildings are suggested by stripes of vertical color. These early paintings lend themselves to being reinterpreted using the pixelated painting manner melting oil pastels on a heated surface similar to his painting machine.
Empire State Building III, Finished Friday, March 30, 2012, 5" x 7" x .125” x 2 oz., Oil pastel melted on Plexiglas. Framed in a Neapolitan style simulated gold leaf over clay over wood with no seam in corners weighing 2 pounds
Empire State Building II, Finished Friday, March 30, 2012, 5" x 7" x .125” x 2 oz., Oil pastel melted on Plexiglas. Framed in a Neapolitan style simulated gold leaf over clay over wood with no seam in corners weighing 2 pounds
Bather after Degas, Finished November 1, 2011, 5" x 7" x .125” x 2 oz., Oil pastel melted on Plexiglas. Framed in a Neapolitan style simulated gold leaf over clay over wood with no seam in corners weighing 2 pounds
Arabian Horse, Finished June 4, 2012, 5" x 7" x .125” x 2 oz., Oil pastel melted on Plexiglas. Framed in a Neapolitan style simulated gold leaf over clay over wood with no seam in corners weighing 2 pounds
"Artisto" the automata painting machine paints Chad Johnson.
Chad Johnson, 16" x 20", September 2007, Wax on
aluminum sheet
This is the second painting done with the Lego robot assistant, "Artisto."
The face is a Bengal receiver. The face is set in the mask of a tiger. Tom used
strong colors to accent the eight colors available in the robot assisted process.
Two views of Irene, Oil pastel on foil, 16" x 20", August 2003
The first painting done by "Artisto" using glow in the dark colors
makes use of a strong combination of colors for a powerful graphic effect. The
sky comes to life in the dark. Two different glow in the dark colors, blue and
orange, where used for the background.
Mike Wilger, proprietor of the Visual History Gallery, works with "Artisto."
Shown at
January 2008 at Sitwell's Coffee House, 324 Ludlow Ave., Cincinnati OH 45220
April 18 to May 18, 2008 at Visual History Gallery, 2709 Observatory Ave,
Cincinnati, OH 45208, 513-871-6065
Artisto Paintings in the Show, 2008 Show Brochure, Visual History Gallery
View Tom
Lohre' locations of paintings painted from life in a larger map.
More additions to come:()
Experience The Warm Feeling of Owning Original Art
Auctions on Everything but the House
See on
Special Web Sites, Family Tree, Friend's Links
Complete Works, Portraits, Landscapes, Still Lifes, Sculpture, Lego Robot Artist...
Experience the Warm Feeling of Owning Original Art
Sign up for yearly notices by sending an e-mail to newart-subscribe@tomlohre.com
Post your comments on https://www.facebook.com/artisthos/
126A West 14th Street, 2nd Floor Cincinnati, Ohio 45202-7535