Thomas is a self-taught artist and metal worker. In 1972 he began his career in iron work and soon after opened his own company in Placerville, California. His skills with metal developed rapidly and his fabricating business grew to be one of the largest in El Dorado County. After 21 years in the industry, Tom longed for something new and creative to fill his working days. Applying his metal skills with his natural artistic talents, he began creating steel sculptures. His first two pieces, a covered wagon and a stagecoach sold almost immediately to a large corporation in San Francisco. He was hooked and hasn’t stopped creating since.

In 1994 he entered his first art show and won first place for one of his now famous stage coaches. His specialty is south western sculpture, although he has a wide range of artistic styles ranging from detailed pieces including wildlife and human form to large abstract sculptures. He also creates garden art, steel and stone waterfalls, beautiful one-of-a-kind pieces of furniture and custom decorative pieces for homes.

All of Thomas’ work is hand formed in steel, nothing is cast. When creating a face, for example, he first begins with a steel skeleton and then adds the “skin” one drop at a time over the skeleton. The feathers of an eagle are cut out individually and then hand pounded to create the “feather” look. The “leather” of a stage coach is heated and pounded until it really looks like leather; people must touch it before they realize it’s steel. Each sculpture is approached individually making it unique. Tom enjoys creating rustic looking pieces with character, especially those that tell a story like his stage coach in the sand. Extensive research and meditation goes into each piece.

Tom and his wife, Barbara, have owned two galleries in Northern California and are opening their third gallery in the beautiful Jemez Valley where they moved in December 2006. The gallery will also feature a coffee house with house-roasted beans and a bakery.

Tankersley Home

Art Jemez Home

Gallery Three

All art work on this site is copyrighted by the artist and may not be copied or reproduced in any way without the express written permission of the artist.

Awards

Shows and Collections