Thomas Welborn
ARTIST STATEMENT
'My photography is driven by a passion to create images that convey my vision of the natural world. Within me there exists a desire to share that vision with all who care to take a look, to see the world as I see it; to be humbled and yet inspired by the sheer beauty that Mother Nature shows us in even the tiniest detail. I tend to revel in these little details, to the point that my artistic vision seems dominated by them at times, but then I look up from the ground and I see the light embracing the land and the sky - an awesome spectacle that takes my breath away. There is no substitute.
BIO
I have been creating images of Oklahoma, Texas, and New Mexico for over twenty years now. My journey began in the late 1980's during a trip to Arizona. I had just spent 15 years working in the music business and I was tired and burned out, I needed something new to be passionate about. As I was driving through Arizona, I fell in love with the vast landscapes that I saw around me. I stopped and looked at rocks, breathed in the clear, clean air and marveled at the shapes of the land and wide open skies. I knew then that I needed to find a way to spend as much time as I could out there.
Upon my return to Oklahoma, I began to research the geology and geography of all that I had seen. This led to hours at the libraries and bookstores delving into old monographs and research papers. I began to take local 'road trips' to see the land up close. I started carrying with me an old camera that a close friend of the family had loaned me. It had two lenses, but it wasn't long before I added a wide angle lens, a whole plethora of filters and gadgets, and a tripod. I read books on technique and composition, and I marveled at the work of Ansel Adams, Art Wolfe, and Galen Rowell. I began to create images that put the geology in the best light. In the beginning, my photography was inspired by the geology, but it was not long before Mother Nature as a whole began to exert her influence upon me.
As the years have gone by, my own style has evolved into a photographic vision that delights in nature's textures, details, and abstract designs, smaller scenes from the wide open landscapes, and the rusting and crumbling artifacts from man's past, which are themselves in the process of becoming a part of the landscape. It's been a long and winding road, but a journey that's been worth every minute. I can't imagine doing anything else.
I am an internationally recognized photographer with images published in magazines, books, and calendars. My work can be found in homes and businesses around the world. Owning a piece of my work is not just an investment, but a personal statement about your aesthetics and will surely inspire yourself and others each time you gaze into the photograph.