The Art of Tom Leonard

Books and Candle
enhanced photo
by Tom Leonard II


Longhorns at Oliver Creek
by Tom Leonard II


Sisters by Tom Leonard II

Bio - Tom Leonard II, Photographic Painter

Tom Leonard II will be showing his “photographic paintings” at Ashley’s Art Gallery in Fuquay-Varina, as part of the Community Art Festival on Friday evening, September 14th.   Featured work will be “Books and Candle”, “Longhorns Of Oliver Creek, “Mike’s Vineyard” and “Tennessee Stream”.
There is more to our memories than what the eyes alone behold.  The touch of a warm breeze on your skin while watching the sun set into the ocean, the smell of sweet-grass and earth after a summer rain, the sound of the wind blowing through colorful autumn leaves in the Appalachians; each sense a vibrant component in the development of our memories.  A memory, in that sense, calls for more than what is possible from a two-dimensional image.  Tom is a photographer, whose artistic goal has been to capture memories in a special way that beckons the viewer to stop and dream for a moment, allowing what is seen by the eyes to call on the power of the imagination to fill in the rest.  Tom’s greatest sense of success comes when viewers of his work are left with a quiet peace, as though they had just walked out of the scene they were experiencing.
Tom served ten years in the US Navy, nearly five of which were spent aboard the USS Lake Champlain.  It was here that his interest in photography was born, capturing the daily life aboard a Navy warship.  It didn’t take long before his images became noticed and he was awarded the role of command photographer and was offered an opportunity to attend a surveillance photography school in San Diego, California.  He laughingly says “I have many published works from that period… unfortunately you’re not authorized to see them”.  Each port visit was another exciting chance to capture different cultures and scenery with his camera.  Those opportunities, both on and off duty, provided the challenges and experience which helped mature his talent as a photographer.  Before leaving the Lake Champlain, he was awarded the Navy and Marine Corp Achievement Medal for his photographic contributions to the Navy.
As a civilian, Tom continues to develop his skills as a photographer, always with the desire to focus on creating perfect pieces of art that cause those who view his work to pause, reflect, and enjoy the simple beauties of life and God’s wonderful creation.  Under the name Creek Fine Art Printmakers, Tom operates a print business that services artists desiring their large-format photography and traditional art to be meticulously reproduced on museum-grade fine art substrates.  
Tom lives with his wife, Jennifer, and their four girls in Holly Springs and works for Verizon Business as a network engineer.  

BIO - Tom Leonard, Musician

Tom Leonard will be performing on saxophone, playing jazz standards and bossa nova selections at Ashley’s Art Gallery in Fuquay-Varina in support of the Community Art Festival on Friday evening, September 14th.
 Tom Leonard (senior) had a 20-year career of performing on saxophones, flute, and piccolo throughout the US, Latin America, and Europe where he performed with Symphonic bands, Ceremonial bands, and most often with Jazz bands.  Tom looks back over the many years with the AF Band and fondly recalls the wonderful people he met.  One of his most satisfying and interesting periods was during his assignment to the US Air Force Band of Europe, where he was stationed from 1989-1991 and during which time he travelled to many East Bloc countries both before and after the fall of communism.  He met and spent time with heads of state in Czechoslovakia, Bulgaria, Germany, Denmark, France, Italy, Great Britain and Poland representing the US State Department during this period.  He recalls fondly the time when the band performed at the US Ambassador to Czechoslovakia’s home for a luncheon and meeting where US Ambassador Shirley “Temple” Black and Czech President Vaclav Havel spent time with the band members.  He also remembers, with great pride, the concert the band played in Plzen, Czechoslovakia just after the fall of communism in that country where it was estimated the crowd exceeded a million people…most waving little American Flags and cheering as the band played each song!
After completing 22-years with the US Air Force, Tom retired and began what he calls “the second half of my life” and began his career in the network engineering field, first with AT&T then later with MCI, now called Verizon Business.  Currently Tom manages teams of engineers in the US and in Sao Paulo, Brazil.  Following Tom’s retirement from the Air Force he quit playing for nearly 13 years, as his “day job” was all-consuming.  It was only in February of this year that he felt called to begin playing again, as he felt God wanted him to use the gift of music he had been given to bless others.  He began performing with the church orchestra at Wake Chapel Christian Church in Fuquay-Varina, where he and his wife are members.  He is also active with several other local jazz orchestras.  He has been married to his wife, Drema, for 31 years and they have two children, Jennifer and Tom Leonard II, and seven grandchildren.  Tom, Drema, and his mother-in-law, Sue Crawford,   live in Holly Springs.