His goal is to relate a feeling of balance and centeredness, along with a place for the mind to go, worthy of contemplation. Tom was born in Hollywood, California in 1948. He grew up in Southern California, asking questions about life and existence. He enlisted in the army in 1967 and served in Vietnam in 1968 and was honorably discharged in 1970. Upon returning to civilian life he drifted for a while throughout the Western United States, living in British Columbia for a time. His travels also included France and England. In 1977 he moved to the California Central Coast where he found his kinship with artists, musicians and thinkers. The next 25 years were spent developing the skills of a sign painter and the philosophy of a yogi. His philosophical perspectives along with the qualities of a well crafted sign, balance, line, color and personality, have coalesced into his present work.