By the time Tom went to college , his focus had shifted to other creative pursuits . He attended Montana State University to study film and television as a cinematography major , before moving to Missoula to try his hand at journalism .
In the middle of his sophomore year , he had an opportunity to work at Expo 74 in Spokane and jumped at it . He left school for a job in entertainment production ( another of his areas of interest ) and that job led him to another job — in Hollywood .
“ For the next four years , I was on the road touring with entertainers but still wanting to do my artwork . So , I found a job as a scene artist in Hollywood that allowed me to stay in L . A . for a while working on sets for television , but I continued doing my paintings in my garage .”
It was a good thing Tom kept up with his own creations because they led him into what he does today .
“ In 1977 a guy pointed me toward a new office opening on Wilshire Blvd . I sold them a project of wall graphics and paintings for their space . That commission got me another , then another … and since that time , that ’ s all I ’ ve done . I ’ ve developed my business from going door
to door at small businesses to larger businesses . Now I ’ ve created large-scale artworks for over 30 major bank lobbies across the country , as well as projects in Japan and the Netherlands .”
Despite his success in Hollywood , Tom found substantial opportunities in his home town of Great Falls that encouraged him to move back to Montana and set up his studio . He worked there for the next twentyfive years . However , he continued to hope to return to the Spokane area and in 2005 the opportunity arose in the form of a job . A Coeur d ’ Alene bank wanted a large piece of art for their building . Hanson took the job and moved into the Spokane Valley where he happily resides today .
This area , so close to nature , fills a need for Hanson . It inspires his work .
“ I love exploring the many nearby lakes , the Palouse with its rolling hills , the Spokane River and falls , etc . It doesn ’ t have to be a super spectacular place like Glacier Park or Yellowstone . You can find spots of beauty throughout this region .”
It ’ s easy to see these influences in his waterfall and nature scenes , but I wanted to know why he started painting tied flies — a niche market he ’ s well known for .
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