Thomas Skalicky
University of Tasmania
Although a diverse designer, with many works in tapestry, wood and watercolours, many of Tom Samek’s standout pieces of art are his oil paintings. Samek applies a layer of acrylic as an underlay followed by a second coat of oil paints in which his stroke work and paint volume is gentle and thin. Due to this, his paintings have a smooth and soft finish in which the stroke texture is minimal. Samek also primarily uses neutral and earthly colours in his oil paintings as the gloomy outcome this creates juxtaposes effectively with the humour in his composition. This use of oil paints forms a prevailing surreal effect in his work.