Edgy and Urban
Chicago artist Tom Fedro creates art with zing and boundless humor. His innovations of creative and playful discovery incorporate a combination of pop art collage and whimsical potraiture that have an addictive rhythm all their own. Bright colors, big features and bold lines that seem to be electrically charged represent an exiting way of seeing and experiencing the world through his eyes.
Tom lives and works in Vernon Hills, IL just outside of Chicago. He attended Valparaiso University and The Illinois Institute of Art. He owned a gallery for many years in Chicago. Currently, he is represented by galleries in the US and Europe and recent special projects include pieces commissioned for the Broadway show "Rent", the 40th anniversary of "The Second City", NBC Television, Toogood Wineries, Sweet Riot Candy Co., Amano Chocolates and Chicago's "Cow's on Parade". Corporate commissions include pieces for IBM, Hotel Allegro in Chicago, historic Navy Pier and Washburn Guitars. Thomas Fedro's original abstract art paintings, sculpture and cubist art works hang in over 3,000 private and corporate art collections in over 15 countries world-wide. In 2023, he opened a gallery in Dubai.
I have been drawing since I was a little kid. I used to copy all the cartoons out of the Sunday paper. I actually got my start when I painted a Nagel on the back of my jean jacket back in college at Valparaiso University. I had come home with it over Christmas break and was approached by a major retailer in a local mall to sell my custom jackets. After that I started painting on a regular basis (mostly copying other artists work for family and friends in the colors they wanted). I spent the next several years bouncing around to different schools and eventually becoming a computer graphics specialist for IBM. I then was hired away by an ad agency to be their creative director and worked there for a couple of years. As I was doing this I was starting to get into painting my own works. Around 1994 I started trying to make a go at the art thing on my own. Soon after that I discovered the world of internet sales and discovered that people seemed to like my work. At first, I practically gave my work away but as the followers started piling up I increased prices and went on to become one of the better selling artists on the site. I spent several years while doing this waiting tables and bar tending until around 2000. That was when I was finally able to retire from the restaurant industry as I was making a good enough living by just selling art. It's been a fantastic roller coaster ride since then. This industry certainly has it's ups and downs but for the most part, it's been great.