Biography
As an artist, his childhood two-week stay that occurred every summer in Savannah, Georgia with his “grand dame” relatives, the twin sisters Lila and Bess, forever influenced Tom Barnes. Every Thursday, with him in tow, the ladies sallied forth in vibrantly hued ensembles, complete with flowered hats, gloves, costume jewelry and the heady scents of magnolia or oleander for a day downtown that included shopping, a luncheon, a movie and a trip to the Telfair Academy art museum. The experience resulted in Tom’s signature pieces: the “long neck ladies.” A self-taught artist, he works primarily in watercolors, creating landscapes and still life pieces as well as his figures.
