Tom studied painting at Central School of Art and Design and after graduating he went on to study painting at the Slade School of Fine Art.

In 1982 he joined the staff at the Slade and continued as a part-time tutor there until he retired from teaching in 2010. It was during these years that he moved his aesthetic emphasis from the conventions of painting to those of sculpture; it is for his work as a sculpture that he is better known. Working in this capacity he has completed a number of prestigious commissions, including: "Spirit of Enterprise" fountain in Birmingham’s Centenary Square. "Guardian Angels" consisting of five large bronze sculptures situated in Jubilee Square, Leeds General Infirmary and "Text as image" computer generated mural for NHSS /LIFT Primary Health Care.