Born in Montrose in 1951, Tom studied drawing at Edinburgh College of Art from 1971 to 1975 under Philipson, Peploe, Cumming and Michie. 

Tom has always been intrigued by the effect of light and colour on his environment.  His subjects have included the small fishing villages of Fife, the canals of Venice and the countryside of Italy and France.  Since settling with his family in south-west France in 1996 he has responded to the dappled sunlight around him.  The depth of colour in his work evokes the heat of French summer life in the markets and cafés of the medieval towns and villages which surround him; his portraits of local people capture the essence of lives spent largely outdoors, both at work and at leisure.

Tom’s paintings are to be found in the collections of The Royal Bank of Scotland, Clydesdale Bank, West Lothian District Council, the Sauerland Regional Authority – Germany, PriceWaterhouse Coopers and Boland Limited as well as in many private collections throughout the UK, France, Germany, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, the United States and Canada.