About The Artist

 

History

Tom was born in Madison WI & grew up in Verona WI, close by. He enjoyed his younger years drawing plans for projects & later meeting over the kitchen table with an interested, inventive dad, trading crude drawings. Tom’s mother would help him with school projects when it would involve art. Tom got his creative start from his parents and explored his own artistic world with their support.

 

Education

Tom Nachreiner has lived in Wisconsin all his life. He met his high school sweetheart, Nancy, in his freshman year at Verona High School. Tom was active in Track 4 years, Baseball 4 years, Basketball 4 years and as a Senior Tom won the Physics Award and was Secretary of Math & Science on the Student Council. After graduation, he spent one year at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, where he started out in Engineering & then switched to Fine Art. He transferred to Milwaukee’s Layton School of Art where he won a merit award scholarship each year & at the end of his junior year he won the school’s highest scholarship. The Miriam Frink, Charlotte Partridge Scholarship, included full tuition & all art supplies for his senior year. Tom received his Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree with highest honors.

After graduation Tom built a reputation in Milwaukee’s Advertising community. He started his own illustration company, Art Factory, Ltd. Tom’s paintings were accepted three times into the New York Society of Illustrators Show in New York, & were included in their book distributed world wide. Tom has won many illustration awards throughout the years, both locally and nationally.

In more recent years, Tom has made a transition back to Fine Art, painting from his heart & exhibiting in Galleries. Tom paints “for the shear love of it”, earlier with watercolor & gouache on paper and now, within the last 15 years, with oil on canvas, linen, or panels.

 

Family

I married Nancy, my “high school sweetheart”. We have two children, Sara & Robin, and four grandchildren, Chad 16, Lila 12,” Joie 6, & Amry 4.

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Teaching History

1995 – 2000  Teacher at Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design – Senior Illustration Seminars.

2005 – Present  Workshops through – Tom Nachreiner School of Art – Maple Ave Studio – Elm Grove Studio   & – Art Associations all around the country.

2009 – Present  Teacher of Workshops at Peninsula School of Art in Fish Creek, WI.

 

Teaching Philosophy

“I want to teach as many students as I can to paint with oils in a safer way, as well as how to have fun experimenting, finding endless possibilities with a positive attitude.
So many students are intimidated or afraid to use oil paint. I show them that there’s no reason for that fear once they try painting my way.”

 

Artist’s Statement

“I celebrate the application of juicy, colorful paint through making a variety of spontaneous “basic marks” or perhaps musical notes from the rhythms of my heart I feel while enjoying the privilege of capturing my own unique vision of a moment in time. Keeping the paint fresh and spontaneous by working quickly with high energy and a positive attitude is my number one goal, along with telling an imaginative story for the viewer.”

 

Recent Awards & Honors

“I am an Oil Painters of America – Signature Member & an American Impressionist Society – Signature Member”.

PLEIN AIR EVENTS:
Door County Plein Air Invitational Festival – I won “First Place” 2008 –“Second Place” 2009 –“Third Place” 2011 / Third Place in 2017 and Second Place in 2019.
Cedarburg Plein Air Event – I won “Best of Show” 2006 & 2011 & 2013.

I won Artist’s Choice Award 2017 & 2018 at the Cedarburg Event. I won many other awards in Quick Paint and several in “Best of Cedarburg Historical.  – In 2019 I was the judge of the Cedarburg Event.
Milwaukee Plein Air Event –  won “Best of Show” 2008.
Shorewood Plein Air Event – I won “Best of Show” 2013.

GREEN BAY PACKERS HONOR:
Lambeau Field Stadium Art Collection I have 4 Paintings that hang in the Lambeau Field Stadium, the largest is 56″ x 96″. All 4 are historical in nature, The largest being the 1967 “Ice Bowl”.

 

National Juried Exhibitions 

OIL PAINTERS OF AMERICA NATIONAL JURIED EXHIBITION  – I was accepted in 2009 – 2012 – 2013 – 2014 – 2015 – 2016 – 2017 – 2018 – 2019 – 2020 – 2021 – 2022.  In 2013 I won the Dorothy Driehaus Mellin Fellowship Award of 20,000.00 and in 2018 and 2019 won “Best Of Division Honorable Mention”.

OIL PAINTERS OF AMERICA EASTERN REGIONAL – Tom was accepted in 2010 – 2014 – 2015 – 2016 – 2017 – 2018 – 2019 – 2020 – 2022.  In 2019 Tom won “Impressionist Award of Excellence”

OIL PAINTERS OF AMERICA “SALON SHOW” iTom was accepted in 2010 – 2013 – 2015 – 2016- 2020 – 2021.  2020 I won an “Award of Excellence”.

AMERICAN IMPRESSIONIST SOCIETY – NATIONAL SHOW. Tom was accepted in 2013 -2014 – 2015 – 2016 – 2017 – 2018 – 2019 – 2020 – 2021 – 2022.

OTHER:  Among many other recognitions, I have been juried into the “American Watercolor Society Show” in New York, juried into “The Society of Illustrators Show” in New York three times, & was featured in “Artist’s Magazine” three times.