About Thom …

     Being a self-made artisan from Kansas City, Thom Richart is a true product of the American Heartland.  The pioneering can-do spirit that Midwest is famous for is ingrained in his craft.  His versatility and skill in a wide range of mediums makes him the go-to guy for imaginative and original pieces of art and functional furniture.

     As a kid with a inquisitive mind, he was always making projects from odds and ends from around the house.  Toys never lasted too long.  And with a crafty family, he learned the joy in creating  Those experiences created the multidisciplinary skill set he uses today. 

     He spent two years in the Army stationed in Germany, returning to the U.S. months before the Berlin wall fell.  College led to an interest in sociology and cultural history.  He took one drawing class – the full extent of his art training.  After graduating with a double major in sociology & psychology, he got a job as a carpenter assistant and realized his passion for construction and building furniture.

     He moved back to Kansas City from Lawrence in 1998 and ended up living in an old farm house in the Westport area.  He also began to hang around a lot of the artistic types around KC.  The next four years in that shack were the beginning of a creative barrage (his artistic education) that has never stopped and just keep gaining momentum. 

      A friend got a kitten, in 2004, which he made a finger painting of and realized a new outlet, finger painted pet portraits.  2005 brought about the first of several trips to Los Angeles to paint. 

     There he happened upon the Laurel Canyon Dog Park, near where Laurel Canyon Blvd and Mulholland cross in the Hollywood Hills, spending months sitting under a pepper tree painting and watching the dogs.  The three acres of the hill surrounded park brings an amazing array of animals (both the two and four legged varieties).  In October, 2008, he went to LA for a year.  The unbearable heat of LA emptied the dog park by April so he ended up on Venice Beach.

     Venice Beach has a world famous boardwalk.  It is a two mile sidewalk lined with artists, musicians, and oddities of all kinds.  Thom spent 6 months on Venice Beach, painting a lot of dogs, and being encouraged by the passing throngs.  He’s been back a few times since.  

    During this period he was also working on a lot of homes in the KC area.  Specializing in exterior trim repair and doing special projects for clients.  With a lengthening portfolio of furniture and rehab, he has become a sought after carpenter.

     The time-lapsed videos of finger paintings started in 2012.  Now when a client gets a painting they also can see the process of it being made.  Before then a lot of people didn’t realize his technique.  Now he does it with people, cars, buildings, and even scenery.  What ever you want.

     Today he lives in Midtown Kansas City with his girlfriend, their two dogs, and two cats.    Always making, innovating, and crafting.  If you have an interesting project or painting you want done contact him.  He’s up to the challenge.

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