TOM SHEFELMAN

Tom Shefelman, a celebrated architect who shaped the urban landscape of Austin, Texas, also created illustrative watercolor paintings that explore the dialog of civilization and nature. Shefelman graduated from the University of Texas school of Architecture and the Harvard Graduate School of design. Draftsmanship and depicting the formalities of space were foundational to Shefelman's approach to art.  In addition to rendering the spatial mechanics of a location, Shefelman captured the space's character by including atmospheric conditions, natural light, and cultural points of interest.  He emphasized the everyday use of a space, and traffic, both organic and mechanical.

Shefelman's use of watercolor and paper, a portable and fast drying medium, allowed him to make pictures while traveling.  He captured city scenes all over the globe, and admired the diverse cultural aspects of the architecture within different types of geographical features. In Shefelman's approach to the cityscape, you find a coexistence between human-made and natural elements. Skylines, hard boundaries, furniture, and towering infrastructure are present, yet plants, animals, and landforms are ever-present.

Notable paintings by Tom Shefelman illustrate numerous books by award-winning author, Janice Shefelman, who is also his wife. Tom's ability to imbue his pictures with era and location, depicted the sense of setting that Janice wrote about in her works of historical fiction. A painting by Tom Shefelman is a window into the story of a place.