Set in the Cotswolds of England and first in the series.  Thom had just completed McKenna’s Cottage when he and Nanette stumbled upon this gate while on vacation.  As he was taking pictures of the gate, he became “distracted by a man tending a burning pile of leaves and had never even attempted to see what lay up the road.” They never went through the gate until a few years later when he found the inspiration for Beyond Autumn Gate.  This painting was featured on a magazine cover of U.S. Art in 1991 and signifies a huge milestone in Thom’s career.  Thom still owns the original, and it hangs above his mantle.