THOMAS GOODWIN
Driven by an unseen force…
…it is often said that the artist follows their own path. In this regard, Thomas Goodwin has been nothing if not true to his calling. Provoked by passion early in life, Thomas pursued the artist’s way, embracing opportunities for study and mentorship, enrolling in painting classes at Portland State University, the University of Oregon, and the Portland Art Museum School. His first exposition as a painter was held in 1966 at The Folk Singer, a coffee house in Portland and sought-after venue for those in-the-know, right around the same time that Simon and Garfunkel’s Sounds of Silence was breaching the charts, and Adam West began his tenure as the original Batman.
Coincidence? Probably. But much like Paul Simon and Adam West, Thomas Goodwin started early, and earned his creds. Later in his journey, Thomas reached the artist’s crossroads at which passions are often mournfully set aside in order to pursue something the bill collector would consider more reliable. You know, like real estate. And, for a long time, that was the real state of affairs for Thomas, but in secret, he had never really let go. While she may have been locked away somewhere upstairs, his mistress still called to him, and he never stopped answering the call. No matter how many open-houses and seminar luncheons Thomas attended, in his heart, (and secretly in his studio) he never stopped being a painter. Finally, he relented. After selling so much real estate to others, Thomas acquired the perfect piece of his own. And, after a montage of hammering and sawing noises, the Thomas Goodwin Gallery, in Cloverdale, Oregon, was launched. With over 150 works from his more-than three decades of committed artistic pursuit, the gallery is a testament to the passion of the man, and the loyalty he has to his paintbrush.
If pressed, Goodwin credits Picasso, Gaugin, Hoffman, deKooning, and Kandinsky with inspiring his art. At times, observers and critics accuse him flagrantly of whimsy, boldness, and a subtle but ever-present sexuality in his work, while other pieces suggest a gentle colourscape of grace, and the intermarriage of nature’s majesty with architectural structure. Always graceful, and smacking of the spiritual and the humorous, Goodwin’s work is welcoming, while at the same time worthy of deeper contemplation.
Invitation from the artist…
…If a picture is worth a thousand words then an experience must be worth a million. Toward that end, there is little Goodwin would enjoy more than to share the experience of the gallery, and its bucolic surroundings. Nestled along the banks of the Nestlucca River, and under the passing clouds of the Pacific, the gallery itself is a canvas within a canvas, holding countless treasures of its own. The artist himself is available and loves to talk, share, and otherwise pass the time with any other worthy seeker, wandering across this great marble in space we call home. He extends his personal and heartfelt invitation to get in touch, and visit the gallery, where the full experience can be truly understood.
I hope you enjoy my work. Thank you for your attention. If you would like to see more or talk, make an appointment to meet at my gallery/studio in Cloverdale or where ever convenient.
Tom