About Tom Applegate
I've always been drawn to the wild—mountains, deserts, and oceans have shaped both my experiences and my art. Starting life in the Arizona desert, I spent my childhood exploring outside, and was referred to as the desert rat, I developed a lifelong love for nature. When I moved to San Diego at six, that love only deepened. I spent my days in the canyons, on the beaches, out in the desert and surfing and skateboarding whenever I could. Later, I moved north and threw myself into rock and mountain climbing, scaling walls and peaks from Canada to the Sierra Nevada. When I moved back to the coast and climbing wasn't as accessible, I used my pilots license I had received years earlier while recovering from a severely broke knee from an avalanche and pursued aerobatic flying, competing in high-performance aircraft and took up surfing again. These experiences often pulled me away from painting, but my connection to the natural world—and to art—never faded. After retiring from aerobatics, I returned to painting with a renewed focus, bringing all those experiences back into my work.
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For 30 years, I was fortunate enough to have worked as a wildlife biologist protecting the life on central California's beaches. The beach was my office. That work gave me an even deeper appreciation for the landscapes and wildlife that inspire my art.
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I started painting as a child, studying the Old Masters and working in realism before evolving toward a blend of abstraction and representation. My work isn’t about precise depictions—it’s about capturing the energy, movement, and atmosphere of a place. Whether through rich textures or bold, fluid brushstrokes, I aim to evoke a sense of being there—or longing to go.
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I paint primarily in oil paint on panels, which I craft myself under the name Sierra Art Panels. Making my own surfaces is part of my process, ensuring quality and a direct connection to every piece from start to finish. I also dabble in experimental film. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUvOrV0ilkE
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