Moon Dawn

Tom Cramer’s art hovers effortlessly between painting and carving, between figuration and abstraction. Cramer, who was born in Portland, received his training at the Pacific Northwest College of Art and at Pratt Art Institute. His early, figurative works in wood referenced sources that ranged from comic book illustrations to tribal art and German expressionism, and took the form of roughly carved totems, wall pieces and the occasional painted car. Travels in India and in Europe have influenced Cramer’s palette, imagery and carving. The result has been greater refinement in pieces such as the three shown here, where subtle coloration and delicate carving are frequently enhanced by the use of gold or silver leaf.