A Shared Journey of Friendship and Creativity:

Works by Tom Cato and Bruce Little

The purpose of this website is to identify exhibition venues interested in exhibiting, A Shared Journey of Friendship and Creativity, featuring paintings and photographs by artists, Tom Cato and Bruce Little of Savannah, Georgia. Discover more about the artists and the works in this exhibit by exploring the remaining sections within this website.

Venue representatives interested in scheduling this exhibit are invited to contact us to make necessary arrangements or clarify any questions you might have. We can be reached by emailing Tom at tcato@comcast.net or texting to Tom’s cell phone at 912-663-5735 or emailing Bruce at svcherokeelullaby@gmail.com or texting to Bruce’s cell phone at 912-677-7545.

Description of the exhibit: A Shared Journey of Creativity and Friendship

Tom Cato and Bruce Little have been colleagues and close friends for 40 years. Their shared experiences as art educators drew them together, but their shared passion for traveling and making art has sustained their bond through the decades. Many of the photos and paintings in this exhibition were created after visiting places together along with their families. While traveling, their eyes and minds are always alert and their cameras are ready to capture that fleeting moment when the stream of consciousness and the flow of time is interrupted by something worthy of artistic response.

Cato’s evocative photographs and painterly oil paintings focus on the coastlines of many places he has visited, from the low country of Georgia and South Carolina, to Maine, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Italy. The mountains of North Carolina have also been a rich source of inspiration for his works. Most of his paintings depict panoramic pure landscapes with an occasional reference to humanmade structures. The coast presents an ever-changing canvas, where the rhythmic ebb and flow of tides evoke a sense of calm and continuity set against man-made structures. In contrast, the marshland reveals a quieter, more subtle beauty, characterized by its tranquil waters and delicate interplay of light and shadow. Finally, the mountains stand as a testament to the harmony between cultivated land and wild terrain, where the peaceful pastures meet the rugged slopes, creating a space for contemplation and connection to the land.

Little’s colorful watercolors, executed in a magical realist style, are often inspired by the places he and Cato visited together, particularly the low country coast and North Carolina Mountains. Little’s paintings portray both pure landscape without reference to humanity as well as human built interior spaces without reference to the landscape just outside. Several works outwardly depict observed spaces while, simultaneously, exploring the interiority of the artist and his personal history. Most of these works have previously been featured in national and international juried exhibitions.

The exhibit is intended to evoke a variety of emotions inspired by our interactions with the natural and humanmade environments of the coastline, marshes and mountains. Each environment offers its own unique character, inviting viewers to pause and reflect on the complex interplay between humans and the places they inhabit. The works of each artist also demonstrate how a singular place can inspire such remarkably contrasting artistic visions.

Learn about the two Artists

Thomas L. Cato

Professional Background

A native of Valdosta, Georgia, Tom has lived in Savannah, Georgia for the past 35 years. He is recognized as Professor Emeritus of Art and Art Education at Armstrong State University, now known as the Armstrong Campus of Georgia Southern University. He began his professional journey as a painter after earning his BFA and later his M.Ed in Administration/Supervision from Valdosta State College. After earning the BFA he added art education to his journey, spending five years teaching K-12 students at the Valwood School, followed by three years teaching art to children in grades K-5 and introducing an interdisciplinary art guide for classroom teachers in Douglas County, GA. He also spent a year teaching middle school art in Douglas County before becoming an artist-in-residence for the Georgia Arts Council’s Artist-In-Education program in 1983. During this time, he completed eight residencies in Atlanta-area schools, where students created a mural at each location. Additionally, Tom led eight Art Bus Residencies throughout the state and facilitated 23 mural-making residencies in Fulton County Schools.

By 1990, Tom relocated to Savannah, where he began teaching art appreciation, computer applications in art, and art education at Georgia Southern University. After three years, he transitioned to Armstrong State University, completed his doctorate in art education at the University of Georgia, and led the art education program at Armstrong. In the 2001/02 academic year, he was appointed Department Head for Art, Music, and Theatre, a position he maintained until retiring in 2017. Since then, Tom has traveled with his wife and focused on his work as an artist and photographer.

During his academic career Tom has received many awards including two from the Georgia Art Education Association: the Higher Education Art Educator of the Year and the Distinguished Service Within the Profession. Armstrong Atlantic State University recognized him with the Distinguished Faculty Service to the Community award. He was also granted a $10,000 Getty Grant to support his dissertation work at the University of Georgia, titled “A Descriptive Study of Teacher’s Perceptions: The Use of Computers in Secondary Art Classrooms.” His completed dissertation is available at the Getty Museum in Los Angeles, California as well as the University of Georgia library.

Among his teaching accomplishments, he has presented more than 70 professional workshops, lectures, demonstrations, and gallery talks at local, state, and national conferences, museums, and school systems during his academic career. His workshops have covered a wide range of topics, including innovative approaches to art education, integrating technology into the classroom, and fostering creativity among students of all ages. Tom is known for his engaging presentation style and his ability to inspire both educators and students. He has made a significant impact on the professional development of art teachers and contributed to the advancement of art education in Georgia and beyond.

His artwork is included in both corporate and private collections, such as on the Armstrong Campus of Georgia Southern University; BET Industries and The Norrell Corporation in Atlanta, Georgia; the DeKalb Council for the Arts in Decatur, Georgia; the Carroll County Council for the Arts’ Permanent Collection in Carrollton, Georgia; the Cobb County Senior Citizens Council in Marietta, Georgia; Florida National Bank in Gainesville, Florida; The Langdale Company in Valdosta, Georgia; Coffee County Bank in Douglas, Georgia; Dr. Don Richardson in Napa, California; Dr. Ed Wheeler in Barnesville, Georgia; Dr. Mark Finlay, Dr. Richard Nordquist and Dr. Jane Wong in Savannah, Georgia.

Artist Statement

Artistic Motivation and Creative Process

Tom finds satisfaction in the act of creating art, describing the process as a source of pleasure and personal growth. The opportunity to share his work with others is a fundamental aspect of his artistic journey. For Tom, the true measure of success comes from the audience’s response; when viewers react positively to his creations, he feels he has effectively communicated his vision and interpretation of the world.

Throughout his career, he has drawn inspiration from the images that surround him. Both elements of nature and objects crafted by human hands have become central to his visual repertoire, serving as recurring themes in his body of work. These environmental influences, whether natural or man-made, continually shape and inform the development of his artistic perspective.

Influence of Travel and Artistic Exploration

Traveling with his family gives Tom many chances to capture images, which he later transforms into art, especially through oil painting. In his creative process, Tom aims to craft artistic illusions based on what he sees, using design principles to add depth and significance to his work. He feels lucky that his wife Milne shares his love of travel, and together they have sailed in places like Penobscot Bay in Maine, the British and US Virgin Islands, and the San Juan and Gulf Islands in the US and British Columbia and traveled to Italy, Greece, Mexico, Belize, Canada, and Costa Rica. During his time at Armstrong State University, Tom spent four years helping escort college students on a study trip to Italy usually in the late winter/early spring. He also studied for two-week on a University System of Georgia faculty trip in Buenos Aires, Argentina. When not traveling abroad, he likes to visit locations around Florida, North Carolina, Illinois, Colorado, California, New Mexico, and Arizona gathering inspiration for his art. Their journeys have included traveling by car, train, plane, and boat. Tom notes that he only wishes he could have traveled into space during his lifetime.

Photographic Approach and Painterly Influence

Tom’s expertise as a painter is evident in the way he approaches his photographic work, with each decision reflecting his artistic background. This influence is particularly clear in pieces such as “Forgotten Sanctuary, Sapelo Island.” Here, Tom applies photographic filters to intensify the emotional impact of the scene, resulting in an image that carries the soft, atmospheric quality reminiscent of watercolor paintings.

In the specific example of the photograph of the Sapelo Greenhouse, Tom’s manipulation of the image transforms it from a simple depiction into a layered visual narrative. The photograph ceases to be just a pleasing picture and instead invites viewers to contemplate the enigmatic beauty of a space shaped by both human hands and the passage of time. Through his painterly techniques, Tom encourages his audience to interpret the haunting allure of a man-made environment gradually being redefined by nature.

You can reach Tom at TLC – Artistic Endeavors through his email at tcato@comcast.net , his cell phone at 912-663-5735, or his website at  www.tlc-artisticendeavors.net.

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Bruce E. LittlE

Professional Background

Bruce Little is a native of Fort Worth, Texas and has lived in Savannah, Georgia for the past 37 years. He holds BFA and MFA degrees in drawing and painting from Auburn University and a doctorate in Art Education from the University of Georgia. He spent the first six years of his art teaching career at Douglas County High School, in Douglasville, GA. Bruce then moved to Savannah, GA where he spent one year on the studio foundations faculty at Savannah College of Art and Design. He finally found a home on the faculty of the Betty Foy Sanders Department of Art at Georgia Southern University, where he served in many capacities over 24 years. While at Georgia Southern he taught graduate and undergraduate courses in studio art and art education, retiring in 2011.

During his career Bruce was honored numerous times for his teaching. He was named Teacher of the Year for the Douglas County School System, and the Douglasville Jaycees named him Outstanding Young Educator. The Georgia Art Education Association, at different times, honored him as Secondary Art Educator of the Year, Higher Education Art Educator of the Year and Art Educator of the Year for Georgia.  Shortly before retiring, Georgia Southern University awarded him the Ruffin Cup for Outstanding Service, Teaching and Research in the College of Arts and Sciences.

Bruce has presented more than seventy-five professional workshops at state and national conferences, museums, and school systems during his academic career. The National Art Education Association named him Editor of an anthology focused on high school art education. The publication, Secondary Art Education: An Anthology of Issues, was distributed internationally and has been reprinted three times.

His artworks are represented in private, public, and corporate collections such as: University of West Georgia, Auburn University, Bess Williamson Cultural Art Center, The Dalton Cultural Art Center (on loan), Hyatt Corporation, Hilton Corporation and AT&T, among others.

Since retiring, Bruce has focused on traveling, making art and exhibiting his work in national and international juried watercolor exhibitions.

Artist Statement

Artistic Wandering: Why travel is important to my life and my arT

According to my mother, I moved 23 times before I reached the ripe old age of nine. As a child my “happy places” were outside and involved horseback riding, fishing, camping, boating, and imaginative play in any woods I could find.

Being born in Texas, I was matter-of-factly introduced to another country and its customs very early in life. My first-grade crush was a little Mexican girl in Waco and my best friend in El Paso was a Mexican boy named Jesus. In second grade, while living in El Paso, my family would cross the border into Juarez on weekends to haggle with the vendors in the open -air markets, attend festivals and experience the pageantry of the Bullfights. In my second-grade curriculum we studied English before lunch and attended a Spanish class after lunch each day. In my elementary music classes, I learned cowboy songs and square dancing along with traditional Mexican songs and dances.  I credit these early experiences with cultivating my love for exploring new places and cultures. 

Fortunately, and completely by accident, I found a life-long traveling companion when I married my wife, Ginger, 54 years ago.  Ginger and I have been avid sailors through the years, plying the southeast coastal and offshore waters from Charleston, S.C. to the Exuma Cays, Bahamas in our own 28-foot sailboat, SV Cherokee Lullaby. We have co-captained bareboat sailing charters in the British Virgin Islands, the San Juan Islands, and the Gulf Islands of British Columbia. When we were not traveling by sailboat, we backpacked in the Andes Mountains of South America from Ollanta Tambo, Peru to the Inca ruins of Machu Picchu. We investigated Mayan ruins in Mexico, Belize, and Guatemala; voyaged through the Galapagos Islands; explored the Amazon River and rain forest of northern Peru and traveled the North and South Islands of New Zealand. In 2023 we finally made our only visit to Europe, so far, spending a month in Italy, which included 9 magical days in Venice. In 2025 we traveled, with the Catos, by car, train, ferry boat, cable car and plane from Denver to San Francisco, stopping along the way to visit the national parks of Arches, Canyonlands and Yosemite.

The story of art is filled with examples of “artistic wanderers” for whom exploring new places and cultures is a powerful creative catalyst. This collection of my work fits squarely within that broad tradition of “artistic wandering” by featuring places I have visited and, in some way, responded to artistically.

Over time, I have come to understand that each place I visit “remakes” me as I open myself to it. Some places remake me more profoundly than others as I come to understand what initially seemed exotic is often familiar. My “artistic wandering” has resulted in the creation of artworks, which are both memories and discoveries I want to commemorate.  Most importantly, they are eye-witness testimony to special moments in special places, shared with people who are special to me.

What could be more human?

You can reach Bruce through his email at svcherokeelullaby@gmail.com or texting to his cell phone at 912-677-7545.