Kevin Tolman, a Detroit native, now residing in Albuquerque, New Mexico, uses the southwestern landscape as a reference point for his more abstract paintings rather than a view to be reproduced. The paintings and drawings are Tolman's impressions of the landscape, spontaneous and frenetic, yet controlled within a formalized structure that has evolved over the years.

A suggested horizon line is often used to divide the compositions into upper and lower sections. Tolman believes there are similarities between his process for making art and what he observes in nature. Creating a sense of balance between order and chaos is an integral part of his work. Tolman's large acrylic on canvas, "Time To Tell," is indicative of the arid terrain that makes up southern New Mexico. Even though the painting is abstract and devoid of specific visual references, it mimics the coloration of that area of the country. Within the seemingly agitated brushwork of Tolman's work, there is a definite pattern of control. There is a sense of the artist leaving the viewer with an impression of plants, boulders, and undulating hills. The rhythm of his work creates a vista without specifically showing the details. Occasionally, thin black lines are drawn in to add a shadowy definition to an otherwise obscure object.