Hi! I’m Tom.

I come from a family of teachers and makers. I have taught literature at Southeastern Louisiana University for the last 35 years, and for the last ten I have added making to teaching by constructing wood creatures that combine playful but intentional design with the demands of the materials themselves—in many cases salvaged wood or pieces left over from other creatures.

I approach each project as a puzzle, and what I hope to do is give integrity and some permanence to what remain of my childhood dreams and nightmares. And this has meant developing a process of construction and treatment that will allow my creatures to withstand the harsh Louisiana climate.

I now use treated wood (pressure treated and/or treated with copper naphthenate), to which I give a coat or two of marine epoxy (and often an additional layer of construction adhesive) before priming. The acrylic paint I use is rated for outdoor murals and I apply a final coat or two of water-based spar varnish. The process of construction—of ensuring the integrity of a whole made from so many parts—is an essential part of the final form itself.

Enjoy perusing my creatures. If you have any questions, send me an email: tomscreatures@gmail.com