It was during his film engagements
- which included 'Chitty Chitty Bang Bang', 'Half A
Sixpence', 'Young Ladies Of Rochfort' - that he started to draw his
fellow dancers during long periods of waiting on the set. The
development of this new found 'pastime' led to an invitation to
exhibit his drawings at West End gallery.
Shortly before the
opening of this exhibition, the theme of which was Dance,
Tom saw some sculptures that were intended to be exhibited in
conjunction with his drawings. He instantly set o work, in his
dressing room at the Adelphi Theatre where he was then the
principal dancer in 'Showboat', and produced the model for his
first figure in Bronze. His first sculptures were then substituted
for those due to be exhibited and he received great acclaim from
the critics.
After Tom left the stage and took up
drawing and sculpting as a full-time occupation, he never
looked back. He has sculpted many of the world's most famous
dancers, including Alicia Markova, Beryl Grey, Natalia Makarova,
Antoinette Sibley, Eva Evdokimova, Galina Samsova, Marion Tait,
Anton Dolin, John Gilpin, Anthony Dowell, Ivan Nagy, Peter
Schaufuss, Wayne Sleep, Ken Wells, Agnes Oaks, Thomas Edur amongst
others. In twenty eight years Tom has gained acclaim throughout the
world and has exhibited and sold his work in London, Paris, New
York, Edinburgh, Brussels, Monte Carlo and in many other cities.
His work has also been recognized by the Royal Society of British
Sculptors who elected him ARBS for 'Distinction in the Art of
Sculpture'.
Tom works from life, preferring to
sketch and model his dancers in class or at his Hampstead Studio.
He is a perfectionist and feels that there are so many avenues to
explore - whether in drawing, painting or sculpture - that he never
stops changing and evolving all the time; he also feels that one of
the most important things is to be happy in what he is doing. In
recent years he has completed several life sized sculptures, many
of these gracing prominent public places worldwide. Possibly the
most challenging and poignant is the bust of Diana, Princess of
Wales, commissioned after her death by the British Red Cross, as a
tribute to her work and dedication of a remarkable woman. This
exquisite work is displayed at the Red Cross headquarters in
London.
Tom's work is in private
collections throughout the world and he is recognized as a
major living artist. This was confirmed when the dancers of the
Bolshoi Ballet presented him with a signed ballet shoe as their
tribute to his talent.
His technical knowledge of
dance extends through his bronze and his drawings, not
only capturing the grace and line of the dancer but, after he has
the opportunity of working with a person, he finds that he begins
to penetrate the various layers of their personality and fibre
which then gives an extra dimension to his work. He says that the
more he works in bronze, the more he realizes that he never gave up
dancing but has continued to dance through his medium.
Tom lives in Hampstead, London, and is
married to Blackie, who has supported and promoted his work
throughout his career.
Life sized works can be seen in the
following public settings:
- London - Royal Festival Hall
- Malta - Hilton Hotel
- Melbourne Australia - Victorian Arts
Centre
- Basingstoke, England - Town Centre
- Michigan, USA - Mendel Centre for
Arts
- Chichester, England - The Festival
Theatre
- Borehamwood, England - Kinetic
Centre
- Epsom, England - The Playhouse
Theatre
- Poole, Dorset, England - Compton Acres
(Gardens)
- London - British Red Cross
Headquarters
