Thomas Lorraine Hunt was born in London, Ontario, Canada on February 11, 1882. His father, John Powell Hunt, was an artist and Thomas studied under him with Hugh H. Breckenridge. He also studied in various American and European art centers. He spent much of his early years in Cleveland, Ohio where he worked in the construction business, and painted in his spare time. He moved to Southern California in 1928 where he worked in Hollywood and San Bernardino.

Three years after he arrived in the area, Hunt built a studio in Laguna Beach. He taught classes there and exhibited locally. He was a founding member of the Laguna Beach Art Association and proved instrumental in the establishment of the Laguna Art Museum in 1929. He was a member of the California Art Club and the San Diego Art Guild.

His works are held in the Kansas City Museum, the Bowers Museum in Santa Ana, California, and the Laguna Beach Museum of Art.

Thomas Hunt died on April 17, 1938 at the age of 56.