Tomley Roberts is humble and passionate artist whose guiding principles are integrity and excellence. Tomely is a proud son of the soil with a deep love and commitment to Tobago.  

Many have a labelled him as an extraordinary artist with a natural gift; as the man that is shaping Tobago’s Artistic future. 

Tomley, through innovation and commitment has transformed the Tobago artistic landscape. Like his mentor, Ken Critchlow, he also inspires.  Roberts has impacted many students at Speyside high school, providing avenues for expression in various art forms, elevating average rural students into aspiring artists with passionate and impressionistic creativity.

Nurtured in a close-knit family with grassroots principles, valuing high morals, family relationships and structure and love for all things Tobago, Roberts’ early realistic style mirrored his traditional beliefs and upbringing. These beliefs emerge in oil and pastel, resilient to the stark realities of a changing Tobago. They whisper  “remember me the way I used to be”, and are now part of the Tobago voice. His pieces beckon you with almost haunting pleas of nostalgic glee into an era that Robert’s legacy forces one to remember.  

Roberts sidesteps the predictable form and shape of realism and dips the onlooker into his revelry of color with the fluidity of his mesmerising brush strokes. His subconscious clashes with the canvas as he empties himself, dripping emotion and paint into this expressionist creation.

From the derelict houses, many now fallen or mangled by modernity, to the simplicity of Cornmill and Baby bath, Robert’s strokes  shimmer with golden hues from the treasure chest of Tobago‘s rich past. He submits to the innate call of his Tobago heritage to capture her traditions, reaffirm her value and expose her rich history for both exploration and preservation.