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Tom Harbrecht is an Ohio native who graduated from Worthington High School, Otterbein College with a B.A. in Physical Education and Math, and Marshall University in West Virginia with an M.S. in Physical Education. He has been a high school teacher and coach, Naval Officer in the U.S. Navy SEAL Teams, a technical advisor for Orion Pictures, a freelance artists and illustrator, and most recently one of six artists who founded OPAS and worked on The Paint Ohio Project. The variety of Tom’s past careers adds an interesting dimension to his work. Tom’s inspiration comes from the many places he has lived. His paintings range from landscapes, seascapes to cityscapes. After returning to Ohio, Tom headed back to school to pursue a career as an artist. He obtained a B.F.A. in painting and drawing from Columbus College of Art and Design and has been making art ever since. Tom’s art depicts his fascination with the sea and American landscape, many from central and southeastern Ohio. His work invokes nostalgia of old houses, favorite vacation spots, or a peaceful country drive. Tom is one of the founding members of OPAS, and currently serves as Chairman of the Board of Directors. Columbus Dispatch interview with Tom Harbrecht below:
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"Unusual path leads to palette" Sunday, January 4, 2009 3:50 AM By Bill Mayr For The Columbus Dispatch The leap from high-school coach and math teacher to Navy SEAL and finally to landscape painter wasn't a big deal for Tom Harbrecht. The artist, 55, lives in Worthington, where he grew up. A founding member and former board chairman of the Ohio Plein Air Society, he has had exhibits throughout Ohio. He also works as a groundskeeper on a central Ohio estate and as a hired bagpiper. His paintings in an Ohio State University Faculty Club exhibit, opening Thursday, include scenes from central and southeastern Ohio - - and off the beaten track in Florida. Harbrecht earned a bachelor's degree in physical education, with a minor in mathematics, from Otterbein College in Westerville -- followed by a master's in physical education from Marshall University in Huntington, W.Va. He spent two years as a math teacher and coach. Q: Why did you make the jump from high-school teacher to Navy SEAL? A: When I was teaching, I realized it wasn't for me. Being 25 years old, I wanted to do something . . . extremely hard and dangerous. My (SEAL) class started with 100 and ended up with 13. I spent the next eight years (through the 1980s) on SEAL teams. I went all over the world. There were a lot of little things that popped up; I can't tell you about them. I was in the Persian Gulf before the wars began. Q: You enjoyed the time? A: It was scary; it was exciting. About any emotion you can think of, you got it. Later, I was a technical adviser and did stunts in Charlie Sheen's movie Navy SEALS (1990). Q: You started painting about 1991. What happened? A: My grandma painted. As a kid, I always liked to draw; I'd pick up my grandma's paints and like the smell of them. But, growing up, sports was my priority. In grad school, I took a couple of art classes. There was something about turning 40. I wasn't married. So I decided to take some art classes. I decided to really make a push, be professional at it. I took a couple of classes (at OSU) -- basic drawing. Then I took classes at . . . (the Columbus College of Art & Design) and got a bachelor's in painting and drawing. Q: Why do you paint? A: Have you ever done something in your life that just feels right? When I don't paint, I don't feel well. I get grumpy. Q: Why landscapes? A: I think . . . (landscape painters) are wired differently. When I look around, I look at buildings, the hills behind the buildings. I see landscape. One of my favorite places is southeastern Ohio, down along the river, Meigs County. My mom and dad are from there -- Pomeroy. I like the hills, the river, the salt-of-the- Q: Do you foresee more career changes? A: This is where I want to be -- an artist. |
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