The Heretic (16×24 mixed media painting on canvas)

Keith Thomson’s artwork is colorfully surreal, combining the realism of Hopper-esque landscapes with ironic twists of wit. Though his subject matter often seems ordinary at first glance, a closer look often conveys a message of escapism and humor, revealing true magic in the mundane. He sketches his “photo-realistic cartoons” digitally, transfers the results onto canvas, then layers on oil paint for shading and added dimension. Thomson started his artistic career as a political cartoonist for New York Newsday and the New Haven Register before authoring a number of espionage novels, including New York Times best seller Once a Spy.