Tom Lovell's view of history is an intensely personal one, for he holds
a special spyglass to long-ago events, a delicate piece of equipment
which enables him to see what other might miss. His optical lens is his
mind's eye, a lens ground by constant education and polished by imagination.
Tom has been packing his sketchbook with him since he was nine years
old. He grew up in New Jersey and took that pad with him often when he
visited the Natural History Museum. "Even then I was a student of
the American Indian", says Tom. But when he became a professional
illustrator, no one was interested in drawings of Native Americans. Illustrators
had to do pictures as showcases for stories, and Lovell was especially
good at that. He made his living at it for nearly forty years. "We
were never to reveal or tell the whole plot", that artist recalls. "And
yes, we DID always read the story. Our job was to make people appear
attractive and interesting. We'd get the manuscript and read and reread
it and make roughs and submit them to the editors. Many illustrators
had yearly contracts with magazines and had so many pictures to do. Illustrators
have to be disciplined and learn how to research." Discipline and
research continue to be the driving force behind every project Tom Lovell
undertakes. They also help explain why he is today in the front rank
of artists.
After a long career as an illustrator, Lovell was commissioned to do
paintings of the Southwest for the Abell-Hangar Foundation in 1969. The
fourteen paintings are now on permanent display at the Permian Basing
Petroleum Museum in Midland, Texas. He also has commissioned works at
the National Cowboy Hall of Fame. Tom currently resides in Santa Fe,
New Mexico with his wife Pink. Tom puts in long days planning, sketching
and painting accompanied with his Siamese "Dusty".
Print Shown: Professor Lowe's Balloon |
