Tom Kress’ career as an artist and building designer has taken him around the world, working on architectural design projects including the Santa Barbara Airport, the Transamerica Building, and even the White House.

On April 30, the Montecito resident’s artwork took him to Hospice of Santa Barbara’s Leigh Block Gallery for an opening reception to celebrate his Architectural Paintings exhibit.

Kress earned his bachelor of fine arts degree from the California Institute of the Arts, and master of fine arts from UCSB.

In the 1960s, he invented a new method of structuring paintings in a three-dimensional way he calls the Projective Drawing System, and he has been working to perfect the system ever since.

“The question comes up as to how I choose painting subject matter,” said Kress. “I don’t copy or render something I’ve seen, but invent new subjects that relate the paintings to what we already know.

“All the paintings and drawings have the same structure, though, as buildings have framing and we have our skeleton. The new skeleton of the paintings and the drawings is the new drawing system in three-dimensions that I’ve invented and named Tom Kress Projective Drawing System.”

Kress’ Architectural Paintings will be on display in the Hospice of Santa Barbara Leigh Block Gallery through July, and 25 percent of all artwork sales will go toward Hospice of Santa Barbara programs. To schedule a viewing, call 805-563-8820.

For more information about Hospice of Santa Barbara, including volunteer opportunities, call 805-563-8820 or visit www.hospiceofsantabarbara.org.

— Andy Silverman for Hospice of Santa Barbara.