About Tom Hellmrich

My art career started as a young student at St. Josephs College, Sydney. During these schooling years, the passion of colour, light, texture and visual representation of feelings and memories began. The passion for art continued completing a Diploma of Fine art, an extensive lithographic printing career followed by a Bachelor of Secondary teaching in Visual arts.

Surfing, enjoying the Australian beaches and the coastal life is a predominant influence in my artmaking.  My studies have enabled me to understand and express my passion for the ocean and abstraction through drawing, painting, sculpture, mural designs/ painting as well as printmaking and t-shirt printing.

Visual Art is a tool for me to express my customers and my own thoughts, feelings and perceptions about the world we live in. My work explores the light, colour and memories of personal connections that revolve around the ocean and coastal living. Art provides a creative outlet to express the areas of my life that interest me as well as my client. The ocean, coastal imagery and abstraction are my predominant subject matter although I can accommodate a various range of aesthetically pleasing compositions in a range of styles.

The ocean, the sublime, waves, abstraction and beach culture is a way of life for me and provides the major influence for my artwork, although I attempt to expand my art practice to include many ideas and concepts for my customers. My years of training, experience and continual understanding of the arts have enabled me to adapt a variety of techniques to best suit clients needs.

My painting work will always have some connection with nature and or the ocean. Utilizing the beautiful Australian coastlines and beaches are a constant source of inspiration.

This is one of many designs I produced for a t-shirt run where all shirts were sold. My ten year lithographic printing career allowed me access to other areas of printing and this t-shirt run. The TH logo was and is still used in various artworks.

The process of casting these figures in bronze was amazing and a privilege to do. The figures are based on my four nephews and niece and are still kept in a family members home. Each figure is secured in a driftwood base to keep all figures in one sculptural piece.

This is a life drawing image using mixed media. I thoroughly enjoy drawing and utilizing a variety of mixed media. This work was drawn with charcoal, shellac and chalk pastels. Drawing forms the foundations of any artwork I create so if a larger scale charcoal or mixed media drawing or life drawing is required, that option is available.