Thomas Van Auken decided to be an artist when he was drawing a horse in the first grade. Since then, he has focused on drawing and painting, working and experimenting with a variety of materials, especially oil paint. He studied at the Corcoran School of Fine Art, and has shown in a number of galleries including 2nd Street Gallery in Charlottesville, VA, and Joan Wich and Co in Houston, TX. In Richmond, he has shown at Eric Schindler Gallery several times over the past 20 years. He began teaching at the Visual Arts Center of Richmond in 2003.