Tom Small

ARTIST BIOGRAPHY

Tom Small grew up near Kirkland, Washington. His early visual imprints included drawings of buildings on his father’s desk, skeletal frames of buildings under construction, and trees against the sky. As a child, he carved everything within reach and began carving wood in earnest in high school. At that time he also began exploring and backpacking in the Cascade Mountains. He went on to study bronze casting, welding, and wood carving at the University of Washington, graduating with a degree in Sculpture in 1984.

Tom spent 5 years living on the Dosewallips River in the Olympic Mountains and began carving stones he pulled out of the river. From that time on stone became his primary medium. Looking to deepen his relationship with the wilderness, he purchased a remote piece of land atop Cady Mountain on San Juan Island. On 10 acres of mossy outcroppings and old-growth forest, Tom built his cabin and studio. Among the ravens and foxes he and his wife Shannon raised their daughters and here he creates his sculptures.