Tom ross rosenberg

After 25 years of exploring the representational side of life, Rosenberg has launched his “true life’s work” into the exciting and alluring world of abstract painting. 

Rosenberg reverse-paints in layers on the back of clear acrylic panels. Vibrant and complex, the art embraces a wide range of color palettes incorporating intricate patterns. While many of the pieces are built around the design of geometric shapes, others are completely organic and free. 

“With my technique of reverse painting on acrylic panel, there is always an element of surprise. As I work, I try to keep my logical and academic mind at bay, instead intuitively choosing colors and patterns. Each painting session seems to be an exercise in letting go. Fairly soon after beginning a piece, I lose awareness of time and place, almost as if I’m entering my own meditative state. Each little shape and section becomes a world unto itself.

I’ve now come to realize that the paintings themselves are meditations. My hope is that they will resonate with viewers and reflect the energy in the spirit they were created. 

I tend to work in series. My most current exploration is with the ‘Mountain Silhouette’ series. Having lived in Santa Fe for over 30 years and Palm Springs 10 years, I’ve always been so inspired by the way the mountains change, both in definition and color according to the lighting and time of day- Their unique silhouettes have an inexhaustible array of subject matter for me to explore.  

Furthermore, mountains of Eastern Europe, New Mexico and California all have a special connection to me personally. My father, while taking a train trip from New York to Los Angeles was so taken by the surrounding mountains that on the spot he made the decision to move to New Mexico. For him the mountains reminded him of the European mountains he had to drastically leave behind fleeing the horrors of the Holocaust. For almost all my life,  I’ve by mountains. (Ona a side note- the Rosenberg name means ‘Rose Mountain.’) 

“ The Marble series” make up a body of work that I plan on continuing indefinitely, (perhaps until I’m no longer on this planet. :-) The take me back to a time and place of a lonely kid where I’d peer closely into one of my most value marbles and imagine being transported to a whole other world.