Son of an artist and opera singer, he painted from his childhood days in Chicago. After high school, he went to New York City, then enlisted in the Navy Air Corp before moving to the West Coast. In Los Angeles, he studied with Glen Villpu and Harry Carmean at the Los Angeles Art Center. A turning point in his career was finding a model, later his wife, who was three-fourths Mexican and one-part Indian.

The marriage ended but in his painting he continued to concentrate on Native-American portraits, figure and genre.

He spent a period working in his father's studio in Chicago and then settled in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Tom Darro, b. 1946, Chicago, IL (United States)

Raised in an artistically rich atmosphere, Tom Darro has spent his entire life in the world of the arts. His father, Peter Darro, is a renowned painter and sculptor. His mother, Ann Darro, was an opera singer with the Chicago Civic Opera. In addition, three of Tom's uncles served as art directors for various organizations.

Born in Chicago, Tom opted not to take an offered scholarship to the Chicago Art Institute and instead headed for New York City. While there, he began his education in the intricacies of the art world. Later, Tom took the opportunity to move to Los Angeles to concentrate on his art studies. For over two years he took private lessons from European trained painter Theodore Lukits at his studio and workshop. He then studied color theory under artist Christian Title for another four years.

In 1985, Tom selected Arizona as the place for his home and studio. It was here that Tom began to use the inherent qualities of the West - its beauty and energy - as the vehicle for artistic expression. The backdrops of romantic landscapes, for which Tom constantly searches, help him capture the beauty and sensuality of his subjects. The trademark of Tom's work is the soft play of light, either early morning or just before sunset, against the delicate features of his subjects. His compositions have a unique harmony of color few artists ever find. Although much of Tom's work has featured women, he has developed an outstanding ability to capture the essence of Native American men and children. He has become highly adept at painting the human experience of his subjects.

Tom now lives and works in Scottsdale, Arizona, where he draws on the entire southwest for its history and its people. His work has been featured on the cover of leading western art magazines. His paintings hang in private and public collections throughout the world.

Education
• Los Angeles Art Center, Los Angeles, CA
Selected Exhibitions
• National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, Prix de West, Oklahoma City, OK, 2008-2014

Selected Publications
• Leading the West, "One Hundred Contemporary Painters & Sculptors, Donald J. Hagerty, 1997

Selected Press
• Southwest Art, "Art Events-Arizona", July 2004
• Art of the West, "Timeless Art", November 2002
• Art of the West, "New Challenges", March 1998
• Southwest Art, "The American West", July 1995
• Southwest Art, "Biographies of the 64 Artists", July 1995

Selected Collections
• J. Rockefeller
• John Denver
• Leanin' Tree and Sculpture Garden of Western Art, Boulder, CO