Oral history comes alive in this fascinating tale of Tom Malloy (1912- ), former Artist Laureate of Trenton, New Jersey and the darling of myriad art-lovers. Conversations with this self-taught, African-American master painter of cityscapes guide the reader through his adventures as a South Carolinian sharecropper s son, a young man in Trenton s industrial heyday, a civil rights activist, a Methodist lay minister, and a celebrated artist. Twelve chapters follow Tom from childhood to age 93 and trace his winding path towards a late-budding artistic career. Blending Colors from Life also gives readers a window into Tom s unique talent at the art of living and calls to mind the kindred concepts of watercolor painting and watercolor living. . . . Just as Tom blends diverse colors on a canvas to create his paintings, he also proves to blend rich, often unpredictable, vastly diverse life experiences to create a masterpiece life of achievement, fulfillment, and love. Trenton's love of Tom Malloy, brother, preacher, husband, uncle, and artist, masterfully documented by Charisa Smith, will serve to us and the world as further documentation of our love for this man. Beautifully written and illustrated, the life of Thomas Malloy is exposed for all of us to admire. His talents have long been admired, his words of wisdom appreciated, and his wit envied by all of the many Trentonians that call Tom friend . This is a joy to read if you do not know Trenton s Artist Laureate, but a real treat for those of us that think they know all of Tom. Maybe we should have fixed our bridge to read: Tom Malloy Makes...the World Takes. --Brian O. Hill, Director, Trenton City Museum . Tom Malloy's many admirers will want to give three cheers for Charisa Smith, who taped conversations with him over the years and shaped them into a book of reminiscences. Now we have words to go with the watercolors. --Sally Lane, Mercer County College

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