| I was undecided whether to include these pictures in the book, because Tom didn't paint many. It was one of the phases he went through but didn't hold his interest for long. I decided to include them because of one particular picture he painted which I call The Depression Years, which is not strictly true but does convey an overwhelming feeling of utter uselessness. It is such a powerful picture that I felt it wrong to pass it by just because it's depressing. Should all pictures be joyful? I think not. Too many great painters depict war and death, pain and grief. I did not include Tom's bullfighting painting because of its controversial content and I stand by that, knowing Tom would agree with me. Tom wished he'd had the courage to become a bullfighter, but family commitments stood in his way. He accepted the pain endured by the bull on the basis that if they didn't fight, they'd been slaughtered at birth and therefore would not exist at all. There are arguments for both sides, I know. Suffice to say that Tom's admiration and respect for the bravery of those magnificent beasts lasted his lifetime. I'm not sure what drove him to start painting the city scenes. Perhaps it's a natural follow-on to the country scenes, in which case its not surprising it failed to hold his interest. I never influenced what he did or did not paint. Apart from commissions, he always painted from the heart and so it was natural that he turned away from city scenes back to the country ways and stallions, his first love. |
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