Tom Dean, a completely self-taught artist, discovered his passion for woodwork at the age of 45, beginning his experimentation in 2005. Guided by what he refers to as his God-given talent, Tom transitioned to full-time artist status in 2008 and began producing his artwork under the name of Milo Creek Carvings Fine Art. His repertoire, starting with fish carvings, has since expanded to include bison skulls, waterfowl, pheasants, geese, swans, beavers, cattails, dragonflies, jewelry, necklaces, and tables. While Tom sources woods from Africa, Australia, Central America, and Hawaii, the majority of his sculptures are carved from Cocobolo wood, an incredibly hard, dense, and oily South American tree with rich and beautiful grains.
Tom’s artwork has been published in both national and international media. Regarding publications, Tom’s work has been featured in Big Sky Journal, Western Art & Architecture, American Angler, and Cowboy and Indians magazine, the latter which hailed him as one of the best woodcarvers in the country. Additionally, Tom’s wood sculpting talents were written up in the April 2010 “Collecting Sporting Arts” issue of Western Art Collector magazine, a premier national magazine for the show and sale of fine western art. Further, a feature of his fish in WoodCarving Illustrated included a detailed, step-by-step process of his fish carving technique, drawing appreciation from individuals worldwide for his generous explanation. To further broaden this international audience, Tom penned several articles for Wood Carving magazine, a publication based in Sussex, England. Renowned as Europe’s largest publication dedicated to the art and technique of woodcarving, it reaches readers in 57 countries across the globe. More recently, in 2022, he was one of six artists to be featured in Art in America, an Amazon Prime documentary.
Beyond publications, Tom’s work has been featured in prestigious exhibitions and garnered acclaim across the country. Since 2008, his pieces have been showcased at the CM Russell Art Auction and the Western Master’s Art Show & Sale, highlights of Western Art Week in Great Falls, Montana. Notably, Tom’s artistry earned him coveted spots in The Russell: The Sale to Benefit the CMR Museum and the Western Masters Art Show and Sale in 2011 and 2012. In 2009, he was selected for the esteemed Western Design Conference in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, an honor bestowed upon only a hundred artists from thousands of applicants. Furthermore, in 2010, Tom was asked by the President of the Society of Animal Artists out of Colorado to submit his artwork for membership into the Society of Animal Artists Worldwide, headquartered in New York City.
Today, Tom lives and works out of his studio in Great Falls, Montana, alongside his wife and partner, Patti Jo. His one-of-a-kind, hand-carved sculptures reside in many prominent private collections and major corporations across the country, cherished by exclusive collectors such as by those in the Yellowstone Club, worldwide, and beyond.