Aboriginal artist Thomas Croft always enjoyed drawing but it was not until the birth of his first child seven years ago that he started to paint.
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He wanted to be able to retell his family’s Aboriginal stories through artwork for future generations.
“It was pretty much once my son Hunter was born and I had already lost my grandmother and father that I started,” Croft said.
“I thought these stories needed to be captured and handed on so they keep going. Stories are passed from person to person in many different ways, this can be done through oral, dance and/or visual.
“My cousin sent through my Nana’s diary and I knew I had to put these stories on canvas. I like to think I am doing my family proud by continuing our stories.”
It was upon returning from a trip to the Northern Territory, where he spent 26 years of his life, that Croft went out and bought paintbrushes and canvases and started experimenting.
He has strong influences from artist across the Northern Territory and common themes in his artwork are barramundi and rain, which he uses to tell stories of life experiences.
“I was never taught by anyone,” Croft said. “It was a lot of trial and error and research and my art has just developed over a period of time.
“My wife Angela has been very supportive since this art journey has started, especially while we have a very young family. I spend most of my time now painting at night when our children have gone to bed.”
What started out as a personal journey for the Hunter New England Health employee has become a passion to one day exhibit his own collection and become a full-time artist.
His works have been received well since he started featuring at the Olive Tree Markets in Newcastle and Maitland and Croft has had pieces in the Opera Quays Gallery in the Queen Victoria Building in Sydney for the past three years.
The 41-year-old’s work has become to gain local attention and last year he was commissioned to connect Callaghan College, Jesmond Campus with its local Aboriginal history through a wall-sized mural on the school grounds.
“At Callaghan College we’re really passionate and supportive of Aboriginal education and also being able to acknowledge aboriginal culture and communities in things we do,” Callaghan College, Jesmond campus relieving principal Ian Ross said.
“The fact that we solicited the services of Thomas to do a quality presentation just added value to what we are trying to do here at Callaghan College.”
“Everyone who has seen it has thought it is amazing.”
View more of Croft’s works at https://www.facebook.com/groups/115415785182975/
