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"His efforts were impressive. He seemed to have a natural sense of balance and composition, very rare in a realist painter." 
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Thomas Payne brings his own dimension to Abstract Expressionism. In vogue since the mid Fifties, this genre of painting has always emphasized the emotional response of the artist but Tom has chosen to concentrate on the most positive aspects of Abstract Expressionism. He works with color and gesture to create art that is uplifting, that has an elegance that reaches to the viewer's subconscious search for euphoria, for peace, for a mental landscape above the earthly. 
 

Tom likens his quest to that of the gothic cathedrals which created an environment and a visual experience that is worshipful, awe inspiring in its sensuality. His paintings take their place in a room as a focal point, blending vivid colors with gold, silver, and copper leaf spilling through ethereal shades of warm, cool and mid-tone values that serve as his own type of worship.
 

 Thomas Payne was initially a realist painter and like many artists worked in many media an styles before settling comfortably into abstraction. He began painting in 1967 and for many years worked mainly with florals an portraits. On occasion he still does portraits for special people. He says, "It keeps my eye sharply tuned to shapes and tonalities, but Abstract Expressionism is my true love."  He was exposed to Abstract Expressionism in the early 1960's and by the 1980's he had abandoned realism an began concentrating on large-scale abstractions,  using his brushes and palette knives to mix and create colors on the canvas. 
 

When he works with abstracts the basic rules of balance and composition and color are so instilled in his subconscious that they come into play automatically. His mentor, W Holder said from the very first, "His efforts were impressive. He seemed to have a natural sense of balance and composition, very rare in a realist painter." Tom approaches each canvas with no preconceived ideas. Instinctively he reaches for a brush and chooses the first color. He feels the key W painting is to get the ego out of the way to work with instinct. 
 

"I don't like contrived abstracts.  To me an abstract has to flow from your spirit, your innermost consciousness. Otherwise it isn't a true expression of your inner being.  I sort of let go and let the spirit flow."