TOM PANEI

THE ART OF LIFE

VISUAL ARTS

Though he works in a variety of media, chalk pastels have become Tom's passion. Straying from the traditional realism embraced by many pastel artists, Tom’s work recalls the cubism assemblage methods of Pablo Picasso and George Braque. He has created and mastered his own technique of blending chalk pastels on wood panels that has become his signature style. Everything from his colorful abstracts to his large vibrant murals are recognized throughout the tri-state area and beyond.

Throughout his career, Tom has gained a following of collectors from coast to coast in the continental United States in addition to Hawaii. Recently, international collectors from Canada, Italy, and Germany have also commissioned Tom for work. His art has been featured in many articles and publications throughout the country. Winning numerous awards throughout his career, he recently was bestowed the Key to the City of Butler, Pennsylvania as the first Artist-in-Residence. He also gives lectures, teaches, and presents workshops to students in schools and also privately. From 2011 - 2014, Tom was been selected to participate in the prestigious international art show, Art Prize, in Grand Rapids, Michigan. In 2013, he was chosen to display his work at The Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum, where he became an instant hit. Furthering his appeal, Tom has starting performing ‘Live Art’ shows at selected venues and clubs. Combining music with his art, he has created a one of a kind experience.

A LIFE IN SONG

PLAYING IN THE BAND... AND SOLO

Since his high school days, Tom has been an active songwriter. He performed with the infamous band The Acoustic Weasels (eventually truncated to The Weasels) during the early 1990's, then formed and fronted the band Mind's I in 1995. Mind's I went on to release five albums, Where The Secret Lies (1998, AFM Records), Fearless of Ever (1999, Mind's I Music), Mighty Shoves and Tiny Pushes (2000, Onoma/CD Baby), Metamorphosis (2002, Mind's I/CD Baby), and Train Wreck (2010, Mind's I/CD Baby). In 2014, Tom released Acoustic Sessions, his debut solo effort. In May 2020 the first two Mind's I albums were remastered and packaged with a previously-unreleased recording of the track Burn for a digital-only release called Back Catalog.

Tom continues to perform as a solo artist at bars, clubs, wineries, county fairs, and concert halls. Additionally, he has hosted a series of successful concerts at his art studio in Butler featuring such nationally renowned performers as Scott Blasey and Shane Alexander.

ARTISTRY MEETS DENTISTRY

CUSTOM DENTURES BY T.PANEI

Tom has been involved in the dental field for over 20 years. For the past 15 years he has run T. Panei Dental Lab, a one-man operation specializing in complete dentures, implant prosthetics, and chairside support for dentists and oral surgeons. He learned the industry from the ground up starting out as an assistant, then moving on to lab work, and finally on to achieving his CDT.