Born in Dayton, Ohio, painter Timothy O’Toole began his enthusiasm for drawing and painting at an early age. He was encouraged by his parents and their circle of friends, many of whom were professional painters and sculptors, and he found himself surrounded from the onset by a wealth of creativity and a celebration of personal expression. He attended Dayton Art Institute and later received a Bachelor of Fine Art degree from the University of Cincinnati. Among the influences that Timothy finds the most inspiring are the visually expressive works of John Singer Sargent, Joaquin Sorolla, French impressionist Claude Monet and Andrew Wyeth.
Timothy lived several years in West Chester County in Pennsylvania and followed in the footsteps of Wyeth, capturing the beauty of the countryside in drawings and paint, and even paid homage to the Twentieth Century master by choosing Wyeth’s home and the surrounding area as subjects of his own work. In addition to his time spent in Ohio and Pennsylvania capturing the wonders of nature for his art, Timothy has spent over twenty years in Colorado working on location to hone his skill as a master landscape painter.
“The best thing about plein-air painting is being outdoors” the artist explains. “When I am in the field, I react to whatever captivates me and I work quickly to capture what I see as the light changes. It’s a mental exercise. When a scene captivates my attention, I paint, spreading the paint over the canvas using brushes, palette knives and my fingers-anything to capture the moment.”
Timothy’s work has been published and collected both nationally and internationally for almost 25 years. When he is not in the great outdoors rendering its beauty to paint, Timothy enjoys traveling, tennis and skiing. He attests that his family, as well as the painting, is the driving passions of his life.
