Huntsville Art League Invites Tommy Thompson to Discuss His Approach to Plein Air Painting
"Fighting Joe, Golf Course"
The Huntsville, AL, Art League has invited painter, Tommy Thompson, to discuss his approach to plein air painting at their gallery on Tuesday, April 15, 2008, at 7 p.m. "Plein air" is a French term arising from the French Impressionist Movement of painting; it refers to painting in the open air. The League's gallery is located at 3005 L&N Drive, Suite 2 in Huntsville, telephone: 256-534-3860. The public is invited to attend.
Tommy Thompson was a technical and architectural illustrator for more than 30 years before moving on to painting oil landscapes in 2003. He now concentrates on painting pastoral landscapes that include horses. His paintings are impressionistic in style and evoke a sense of peace. He has studied under some of the nation's top painters including Kevin Macpherson, Ken Auster, Kenn Backhaus, Roger Dale Brown, John Budicin, Scott Christensen, Ned Mueller, Michael Shane Neal, Jason Saunders, and Dawn Whitelaw. During the past year, he has been invited to show his work in four solo exhibitions by various art associations and dealers in Birmingham, Guntersville, Memphis, and Nashville. Most recently, the Mountain Valley Arts Council of Guntersville has invited the artist to conduct a solo exhibition of his work at their gallery during June 2-30 at 300 Gunter Avenue. Thompson is a member of the Oil Painters of America, Portrait Society of America, Landscape Artists International, Alabama Plein Air Painters, Art for Patronage, and the Chestnut Group, a nonprofit alliance of landscape artists of Nashville, TN. The artist's childhood near Starkville, MS, instilled in him a love of nature. Now living near the banks of the Tennessee River in Florence, Alabama, Thompson receives inspiration for his plein-air landscape paintings from the natural surroundings. He is represented by Willis-Gray Gallery, Decatur, AL; Loblolly Interior Market, Columbia, TN; and the Heirloom Shop, Franklin, TN.
Tommy Thompson painted this oil landscape for submission to a major national exhibition, thus the painting is not for sale at this time. The traditional oil painter found these beautiful horses on a farm near Columbia, TN, while they were enjoying grazing in the sun.
Thompson has always been the kind who wanted to see what was around the next bend and over the next hill. Now he captures on canvas what he finds on his journeys . Today he feels driven to paint with passion depicting one of God's most beautiful creatures--the horse. He rides the roads less traveled looking for the play of light and shadows on quaint old barns and beautiful horses. He hopes that his paintings of these "creatures great and small" and his tranquil pastoral scenes add serenity to the lives of the viewers of his art.
Tommy Thompson's Artwork Now Displayed in Historic Franklin, TN
Tommy Thompson's oil paintings are now displayed and sold on Main Street in historic Franklin, TN. The Heirloom Shop at 404 Main Street in Franklin is now representing Tommy Thompson's work. It is truly inspiring to meet someone like the Heirloom's owner, Elaine Thompson, who is so excited about Tommy's artwork. We are not connected by kinship but only by our love of fine original art. Elaine and her associates impressed us with the courteous manner with which they treat their customers. Any serious collector of fine art knows that their original oil paintings will most likely become "heirlooms" to be passed down to the next generation. Hence, Tommy's oil paintings have found a very appropriate home in Franklin.
The City of Franklin, founded in 1799, was named after Benjamin Franklin, a close friend of Dr. Hugh Williamson, member of the Continental Congress for whom Williamson County was named. The Battle of Franklin during the Civil War was one of the war's bloodiest battles, costing more than 8,000 casualties and turning every home and building in town into a hospital. Today, Franklin is one of the wealthiest cities in one of the wealthiest counties in the United States. Franklin is a unique blend of history and progress--having small-town charm and big-city sophistication. Many others have observed the attraction that Franklin possesses; Nissan chose Franklin as the site of its headquarters when it relocated from California.
We are pleased to have Tommy's paintings included in this fine venue. If you are a lover of horses and fine art, be sure to see Tommy Thompson's oil paintings of horses at The Heirloom Shop on your next trip to downtown Franklin, TN.
"A Study in Light and Shadows: Solo Exhibition by Tommy Thompson"
The Mountain Valley Arts Council of Guntersville, Alabama, has invited Tommy Thompson to conduct a solo exhibition of his latest work at their gallery during the entire month of June 2008. The gallery is located at 300 Gunter Avenue in Guntersville near the Chamber of Commerce. The title of Thompson's exhibition will be "A Study in Light and Shadows: A Solo Exhibition by Tommy Thompson." The Gallery can be open by appointment outside the regular 9am-4pm Monday through Friday office hours. The Arts Council will be announcing a reception for the artist at a later date.
The Mountain Valley Arts Council (MVAC) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the advancement of the arts in and around Marshall County, Alabama. The MVAC was originally founded in 1971 and strives to keep quality arts programs alive and growing.
The MVAC's goal is to encourage all forms of art. The Arts Council fosters the expansion of art appreciation and participation by presenting a wide variety of art and cultural activities.
The Arts Council operates under a Board of Directors that include members from all areas of the county. These hard-working volunteers help make MVAC's activities possible through their ideas, talents, service and their commitment to the arts. The MVAC operates through a combination of annual grants and the continued generous support of its patrons. Aside from being active supporters of the arts, the patrons enjoy special membership benefits.
"Art at the Gardens: An Exhibition by Tommy Thompson"
Springtime usually brings blooming flowers to gardens, but in March and April the Birmingham Botanical Gardens (BBG) will also be "blooming" with beautiful oil originals by plein air painter, Tommy Thompson. "Art at the Gardens: An Exhibition by Tommy Thompson" promises to be the highlight of the art gallery of the BBG for 2 months during March 1 through April 26, 2008. Glistening new oil originals of peaceful, pastoral landscapes depicting various scenese across America, garden scenes, seascapes, mountain scapes, horses--these are just a few of the "feast for the eye" artwork that await all lovers of fine art at the Birmingham facility.
The Gardens are located at 2612 Lane Park Road, Birmingham, AL. Admission and parking are free. The hours of operation are as follows: Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; and Sunday, 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Twenty percent of the proceeds will be donated to the Gardens; therefore, that portion would be tax deductible to purchasers of the art. For more information regarding Thompson and his work, check out his web site at http://www.tommythompsonart.com
Area of Design is an organization that showcases established and emerging artists, designers, commercial firms, and non profit groups based in the United States.
Their mission is to provide a forum for artists to express themselves and inspire others by encouraging, educating, and nurturing creative talent.
Thompson's interview contains much helpful information for aspiring painters. Be sure to check it out at http://www.areaofdesign.com
One of Tommy Thompson's favorite places to paint is Jackson Hole, Wyoming, in the Tetons. He found these beautiful horses in Jackson Hole. After photographing the horses, Thompson combined the digital photo of an awe-inspiring landscape from High School Butte in Jackson, WY and the horse photo to create an image from which to paint this studio piece, which he named "Horses of the Tetons."
One of Tommy Thompson's favorite places to visit and paint is North Haven Island, Maine. Incorporating horses into his paintings is another favorite thing to do. The oil painter enjoys plein air painting with his friend, George Walker, on their visits to this island that has preserved its simple way of life. North Haven is a year-round island community and summer colony located in Penobscot Bay, Maine. "Maine-ly Grazing" is just one of the paintings that have resulted from several trips to North Haven Island by Thompson and friends.
"In Training" is another Tommy Thompson landscape in oil that includes one of his favorite subjects, horses. the artist found this particular landscape is located in southern Tennessee. Because Thompson grew up on a farm in Mississippi, the artist has always had a fondness for farm animals, especially horses. As a young boy, he had a favorite horse, which he named "Liz." He spent many hours of his childhood riding through the woods and pastures of his family farm.
"Grazing with a View" depicts a scene that Tommy Thompson found on North Haven Island, Maine. The talented artist combined digital photos of landscapes and those of horses. Drawing from the inspiration of the late renowned wildlife painter, Lanford Monroe, and the revered painter, Richard Schmid, Thompson has learned to create pleasing compositions using more than one digital photograph.
Thompson and his painter friend George Walker draw much inspiration from the pristine landscapes found on the lovely North Haven Island off the coast of Maine. They have spent many hours over the past few years locating new venues for their plein air painting excursions.
