Tom McKinley is a painter who has found a way to master the art of illusion through oil. The following photos can only reveal a glimpse of that, however when you see his work in person the dimensions change, the light looks real, and your eye becomes solely transfixed on his details. When I first met Tom, he would only show me one of his paintings on my iPad and then immediately proceeded to erase the browser’s history so I couldn’t find it again. It was an awesome and intriguing act that led me dying for a studio visit.
Once I arrived at his place, I could get up close to the works he would show me, most of which featured imagery of gorgeous designer homes that are actually Tom’s own creations. I mean, they are based off of real places, but are actually gorgeous Frankenstein’s composed of only their best elements. Most of the paintings also have at least one important work of art that you can see through the house’s window or in the yard. For example, “The Drummer” by Barry Flanagan is in the shadows of a work. It’s the sculpture of a rabbit playing a drum.
Tom is planning some incredible exhibits over the course of the next year. Including one that will showcase a painting below that is a slight departure from the rest of his series. It’s of several houses instead of one and it doesn’t have any artworks in it that you can see from the outside. I believe I have sense of the meaning behind it too, but you’ll have to wait to hear that one next time…
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