“Hail to the Lion” Artist Tom Mosser
$175.00 – $475.00
As an artist, Tom Mosser, is always looking around for ideas whether it be at a home depot, at a Pep Boys, at sporting good store, or in the alleyway dumpster near his studio.
Says Tom, “The Andy Warhol Museum is a 4-mile straight shot from my studio on RT. 28 here in Pittsburgh. I go there several times a year. I’ve watched a PBS documentary about him over 50 times. The little Andy on my shoulder is always asking me ‘How can I create art in a way that hasn’t been done before? How about painting with balls, tires and sneakers. These items all leave unique imprints and are perfect for creating logo treatments especially.”
Tom feels that virtually everything that people do is inspired by an idea, whether it’s what to eat for breakfast, a shot selection in tennis or, in his case, how to create art. Says Tom,”Take sports. Every shot and strategy in a tennis match are based on micro ideas. Basketball moves and strategy are all micro ideas. Golf strategy is immersed in creative thought. The very core of all sports and strategy is based on creativity. Ideas and acting on those ideas are the foundation.”
He continues, “Andy said ‘Art is are all around us.’ and that’s true. But more importantly so are great ideas. The idea of looking around ourselves and finding something completely fresh and new. If you do that, if you say, paint with a Penn State football, stuff happens. Something completely fresh and creative, happens. Shooting for for those elusive original or semi-original thoughts should always be a goal.”
| Framing Options | Unframed, Black Frame, Walnut Frame, Mahogany Frame |
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About the Artist:
As an artist, Tom Mosser is always looking around for ideas. In the alleyway dumpster near his studio a discarded tire became a paintbrush to get tread marks on his canvas.
“That’s how I ended up painting with balls,” said Mosser, a Pittsburgh-based painter and muralist whose work appears in sports venues across the country. “If you look around and ask, ‘How can I make art in a different way that hasn’t been done before?,’ you start rolling tires or balls across a canvas and you’re creating art.”
“I don’t think anyone in the history of mankind has demonstrated painting with old basketballs,” said Mosser with a hint of sarcasm, acknowledging there’s no such thing as an original thought but that no other artists that he is aware are painting with tires, balls and shoe bottoms.
Many of Mosser’s clients are professional sports organizations. Using footballs to apply the paint, Mosser completed seven paintings for U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, where Super Bowl LII was played in February. He also contributed 36 pieces to Prudential Arena, home of the NHL’s New Jersey Devils, including a 200-foot-by-30-foot mural that is believed to be the largest interior mural in the world.
Inspired by an Andy Warhol quote, the theme of Mosser’s talk at A & I is “ideas,” in that everything that people do is an idea, whether that’s what to eat for breakfast, a shot selection in tennis or, in Mosser’s case, how to create art.
“Ideas and art are all around, you just have to look,” Mosser said. “The idea of looking around you and finding something completely fresh and new, if you do that, stuff happens.”
Mosser is no stranger to engaging audiences or the sports world. From 1990-97 he was the Pittsburgh Pirates’ mascot, the Pirate Parrot, before becoming a full-time, self-employed artist, commissioned for fine art as well as working with commercial clients.
In addition to his sports murals, some of his most successful commissions include “A Golden Retriever at the Museum,” a depiction of his dog, Lucas, staring at a still life painting of a tennis ball, a painting that Mosser said changed his life.
He’s sold nearly 400 prints of the “Museum Series” including 100 in the first five weeks after an image of the first painting went viral. Mosser donated $100 per print to charities including the Animal Rescue League. He has since created other iterations of the painting, including a pink tennis ball for breast cancer awareness.
Mosser has also left his mark in Pittsburgh, where he moved after graduating from Penn State University and growing up in Huntingdon. The mural “The Two Andys,” created in 2005 with Sarah Zeffiro and located on the side of a downtown building on Strawberry Way in Pittsburgh, is a playful reimagining of city icons Andy Warhol and Andrew Carnegie sitting side-by-side in a beauty salon under hair dryers while getting makeovers.
Mosser hopes his appearance at A & I will inspire artists as well as anyone else with ideas to pursue.
“It’s not a question of whether people have good ideas, it’s whether or not they act on them,” Mosser said. “You don’t have to make a living as an artist, but you can still have creative thinking in your life.”
About the Original:
Large heavy weight canvas. Each original is unique and signed by the artist. Watch Tom paint the lion
The Sequence is a panoramic print of 6 images showing the series from the famous “Block” to Touchdown in Penn State’s upset win over Ohio State on October 22, 2016. Each unframed piece is single matted in white and shrink wrapped for protection. While the image measures 27 1/2″ x 6 1/4″, the matted size measures 32″ x 11″. The Sequence is offered framed in black, cherry, walnut or mahogany. Each framed piece is double matted using the Penn State blue.
A definite addition to that Penn State room.
About Beaver Stadium:
The original Beaver Field was located on the west side of campus and seated 30,000 fans. Named for James Beaver, President of the Board of Trustees, the Nittany Lions played at the original Beaver Field from 1909 until 1959. In 1960, the original Beaver Field was moved to its current location and renamed Beaver Stadium.
Out of all of the State College fall activities, Penn State Football weekends are the quintessential experience. Rather than being surrounded by parking decks and high-rise buildings, Beaver Stadium, where the Penn State Nittany Lions play, is surrounded by fields. On Penn State Football weekends, those fields turn into some of the largest tailgating fields in the country. Fans pack up grills, coolers and yard games and travel to State College from all over in RVs, vans, SUVs, trucks and cars.
Before every home game is one big Penn State picnic — there’s a reason it made the list of America’s Top 10 College Tailgate Cities. When the football game begins, approximately 107,000 fans can be found dressed in blue and white and cheering on their Nittany Lions. It’s an experience you don’t want to miss — don’t forget to buy tickets and a parking pass in advance.
“Strolling up the mall to Pattee is one of my most favorite views. Photographing my alma mater Penn State (’93 BS AgEcon) not only captures memories for myself but also provides a way to share the beauty of a campus that shaped many of us. Throughout the growth and changes, the iconic sites can always rekindle a memory, a laugh and even a friendship. We Are…”
“Passing the Secrets” is by photograper Joe Bodkin.
“Passing the Secrets” is available in the following size: 8×10, 11×14, and 16×20.
Unframed images come in a white mat and shrink wrapped for protection. Each framed image includes double mats, glass, and your choice of a black, mahogany, cherry, or walnut frame.
About the Artist:
Megan Elmer is a State College native and a graduate of State College High School. She studied art education at Penn State and taught art in Maryland for many years. Although she studied metal arts in college, she now focuses on painting and illustrating. Her love for her hometown and alma mater inspired the creation of a Penn State coloring book; Color Penn State. Looking for a quieter and more family-friendly town, she and her husband moved back to the State College area in 2005. She currently lives in Bellefonte with her husband, two children, two dogs, and a cat. In addition to keeping up with her busy family, she enjoys teaching art classes, reading, and following PSU sports.
Lion shrine photo shoots, Mount Nittany climbs, Berkey Creamery ice cream cones, and ordering your diploma frame are just a few of the top things to do before your Penn State graduation. Old Main Frame Shop professionally creates your Penn State Diploma Frame. Choose from one of the many diploma frame selections from Old Main Frame Shop. Your diploma is custom framed to your taste and style. No Kits!! No Pre-Cut Mats!! No Plastic Frames!! No Acrylic!! Each diploma frame is double matted and framed using museum quality materials.
Show your Penn State Spirit with the Penn State School Spirit Diploma Frame! You can choose from diploma frames with Penn State images of either the Nittany Lion or Old Main mounted above your diploma! Finished size is approximately 16 1/2″ x 25″.
“BlueWhite in Black and White” is photographed by Jim Valent. This New image was captured by Jim Valent a PSU graduate in AgEcon who loves capturing images of his Alma Mater and surrounding area in its natural state.
“BlueWhite in Black and White” is available in the following sizes: 8×12, 11×17, 16×24 and 26×44.
Unframed images come in a white mat and are shrink wrapped for protection. The unframed 26×44 comes rolled in a tube. Each framed image includes double mats, glass, and your choice of black, mahogany, cherry, or walnut frame.
***Please Note: Although we try to keep the Plak Mounts in stock they do sell quickly. If we are out, it does take 4-6 weeks for us to replenish our supply.***
