Thomas E Rutledge

Watercolor media artist Thomas E. Rutledge knows he has been fortunate to be able to continue painting all of his adult life.  He suffered a tragedy as a young man in Vietnam when he lost the use of his hands, but with a new therapy of the time, he learned to use his hands again by ironically, illustrating the handbook.  With his wife's encouragement he went on with a dual career as a successful illustrator and fine artist.

Tom Rutledge is knwn for his precise paintings of local landscapes and haunting portraits of the down and out of his former hometown of Neward.  Tom will revisit a vintage town in rural New Jersey and other states... or perhaps take joy in his new loction of West Creek, at the Jersey shore.  Tom's style is realistic and vibrant.

Tom is frequenntly accepted into various shows, earning many awards.  He received a Lifetime Achievement Award in the Arts from the Ocean County Cultural and Heritage Commission in the state of New Jersey in 2019.

Tom also works in oil, acrylic, pencil and an array of mediums.  He currently teaches at Pine Shores Art Association and in his own studio.

* This statement has been provided directly by the artist in association to their 16^th International ARC Salon entries. This content has not been edited for typos or grammatical errors and has not been vetted for accuracy.