Restocking the Trout Pond

Everyone needs the chance to recharge their batteries. And everyone has different ways to go about it. Besides hiking up a mountain or standing in a river waving a stick, Tom finds it inspirational to fuel his creative passions through art and designing something other than architecture.

Each spring, Tom and his wife Sharon turn regular hiking trips into mini treasure hunts by looking for shed antlers from deer and elk.  Some antler hunters sell these naturally-shed antlers to furniture or lighting manufacturers, but Tom had a tendency to just grow the pile in their garage.  When faced with threats from Sharon to either give or throw away accumulating piles, Tom decided to turn them into a piece of art.  At the expense of Sharon’s exercise ball, the “antlersphere” took shape.

In addition to 3-dimensional pieces, Tom has also created a number of drawings and paintings through the years, one of which captured a memorable moment during a pheasant hunt that he and Steve shared in Eastern Colorado.  Another unique creation took shape when Sharon was 8 months pregnant with their son Ross (and bored to tears); she and Tom passed time together by collaborating on this beaded skull – a true test of patience.