“The most important word of the English language is ‘idea.'”

Those were the words from Tom Mosser, the owner of Tom Mosser Designs, and Lucas Paw Incorporated, a business named after his golden retriever.

Mosser, a native of Huntingdon, Pennsylvania, is the creator of some of the most popular Penn State art pieces in the country. Mosser has felt ties to the Penn State community ever since he was a child.

“My parents met at Penn State. I’m a Penn State pureblood, and both my sisters went here, and I only grew up 30 miles away from State College,” Mosser said. “So I was making trips to State College to go to the art supply store, Uncle Eli’s. That was always a big adventure.”

Mosser’s passion for art started when he was a kid and was fostered by his parents, who always supported his creativity. When he chose a college, Mosser brought his creativity to the school he’d loved since he was a young boy: Penn State.

As a student, Mosser worked with Penn State football to design program and media guide covers. Even though Mosser has graduated, his love for Penn State hasn’t wavered as he’s gotten to experience how strong the Penn State community is as an alumnus.

“There’s something about when you put on a Penn State T-shirt or cap, there’s a little part of you that’s back at school still,” Mosser said. “When you drive into State College, no matter what age or how many years ago, there’s a certain ambiance in your psyche that you’re back at school and there’s an exhilaration about it.”

Mosser’s developed many signature styles, but one of his main techniques came to him while he was on a beach in Pittsburgh.

“I saw this pattern of a volleyball in the sand and it was very distinct. So, I had this light bulb moment where I thought, ‘I can do something with this.’ So I went to a sporting goods store and I bought a volleyball, a basketball, a football, and a soccer ball,” Mosser said.

“Then, I went directly to my studio, and I started painting them and rolling them on my studio walls, which left this beautiful imprint of the soccer ball on the wall,” Mosser continued.

Since then, he’s been designing sports logos for several teams and organizations including the NFL, the Premier League, and Penn State.

One of his most popular art series came from a simple daydream he had from the perspective of his golden retriever, Lucas.

Lucas was in Mosser’s studio, and Mosser wondered what his dog would find interesting if he was in an art museum. Taking inspiration from his previous series, Mosser went to work.

“I took a photograph of him. I sketched him looking at this tennis ball from behind, and I whipped up the painting. Long story short, it went viral about three months later, and we sold 150 prints to people all over the world. It’s completely altered my life,” Mosser said.

Mosser’s “At the Museum” series brought him much success as families asked him to paint their dogs similarly. He’s used this success to help animals in need by raising $50,000 for animal rescue groups.

Mosser is working on another Penn State logo art piece that will be displayed at Pegula Ice Arena and will sell prints of the logo to help fundraise for the Penn State men’s hockey team.

“It’s very gratifying for me to be able to give back and still be productive, especially since it’s the school that I love,” Mosser said.

In terms of what’s next for Mosser, he has the goal of working with FIFA for the 2026 World Cup. FIFA is hosting a poster competition for the 2026 event, and Mosser created a piece using his signature sports ball technique as he painted the FIFA logo using soccer balls.

Mosser has created other paintings within the series, including a piece that depicts one of the themes of the 2026 World Cup: We Are. The kid who grew up drawing Penn State football players in his sketchbook has the chance to take his work on one of the most globally recognized sporting events, all while utilizing the mantra he’s heard for years on end.