15 Jun 2016

Prince Tom has found joy in painting.

At 19 years,  Tom is already living his dream.

Tom found his true calling in being a creative painter and juggled his commitments with ease partly because he was passionate about managing his time.

He said painting was a talent that had been in him from a tender age of seven. 

“I entered my first art competitions when I was in primary school and I managed to win many awards, so this encouraged me to take the talent even further and continue with it at senior school where I excelled a lot,” he said.

For Tom, doing abstract art was not only about getting more applauds but rather to get the liberty that life had denied him.

 “I hide a lot of pain in my heart that I never tell anyone but I do all the talking in my art work because that is where I find peace and total happiness,” he said.

He was encouraged to follow his dreams by his late mother who had always been his greatest inspiration.

“Losing a parent is never an easy thing for any child and although I was deeply hurt when I lost her, her memory lives in me and each time I paint I see her smiling. I know she is proud of me,” he said.

Tom proved his mettle by exhibiting his work shoulder-to-shoulder with the best painters in the country and in the process, won many people’s hearts. 

“When I draw an image, I do not just draw for the sake of drawing. I take it a little further as I capture people’s emotions and feelings and this skill has enabled me to win many hearts,” he explained.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but Tom is confident that his are worth much more. 

“One look at my picture and already a story flows through people’s minds. My images are unique and can make any dull mood turn into a happy one instantly. I make sure I speak to the hearts in them,” he said.

He added that Batswana are starting to warm up to the idea of art as they are very supportive. Although some still view him as being young, some are fascinated by the talent he has and as a result constantly buy from him.

 “The rewards of my hard work come in the form of appreciation from people of different ages. I derive pleasure from seeing customers being content with my work and this motivates me to work even harder and paint other breathtaking pictures,” he said.

Tom said he has added to his services reproducing photos by painting and drawing, and that most of his customers stay in Selebi Phikwe and surrounding areas where he is based. He however, said that ever since his interaction with his fans on Facebook, he is now able to reach far places as well as international clients who are amazed by his work.

“Facebook has been a platform where I advertise my work and the reception I have been getting has been unbelievable. It is amazing how many people love and admire what I do. I have even become a role model to other aspiring artists,” he said.

He explained that he is at the moment focusing on expanding his fan base to other parts of the world as images such as those of ordinary daily life in villages seem to be the ones that fascinate tourists more.

Like every artist,  Tom also dreams of seeing his work celebrated outside the country. “My dream is to see my work reaching other countries and even outside Africa because most of my art depicts real village life and I know this fascinates many outsiders as they are able to connect and learn our traditional ways through my work,” he said. ENDS