Thomas McNamara, otherwise known as Macky, has been making art for as long as he can remember, winning sculpting contests as early as junior high. At 11, his father got him a lead soldier-making kit. [...]

Thomas McNamara, otherwise known as Macky, has been making art for as long as he can remember, winning sculpting contests as early as junior high. At 11, his father got him a lead soldier-making kit. That’s when art was introduced and it quickly became evident that it was to be his purpose in life. At 11 he could melt the lead in a small pot, pour it into molds, and paint the little figurines. These soldiers were often given to his parent’s friends. The response was wild - the adults all loved them!! As a boy this was real validation for a child surrounded by intimidating, book-smart people. The art carried Macky into all the art classes at Cardinal Newman high school. His love for lead figure painting continued to grow during this period. It was the MTV generation, which Macky believes also had a huge impact on him . . . Since then, there have been many great moments, including showcasing Macky's art on two episodes of MTV's “PUNK'd”, which featured Ashlee Simpson and Hugh Jackman.