El Rey Inn in Santa Fe, New Mexico

Recently we selected the El Rey Inn for a one night stay in Santa Fe on our way to a wedding in Taos. We were very pleasantly surprised by the wonderful atmosphere of the Inn, the cordial way that the staff treats visitors, and the delicious, mouthwatering continental breakfast. The Inn has an Old World feel with its architecture, ambience and beautiful grounds. It reminded us of Italian villas. The walls outside each room were decorated with colorful painted tiles. The tree-lined drives through the grounds added to the picturesqueness of the facility. We will definitely stay here again, hopefully for an extended stay since I am a plein air painter. In fact, I did this plein air painting of one of the Inn's buildings while we were there.

Barn Down the Lane

Since childhood Tommy Thompson has been fascinated with rustic old barns, the animals around them, and the hard-working people who spend time in them. He is forever on the lookout for special kinds of barns to paint and this one captured his attention.

Artist Tommy Thompson to Launch Solo Exhibition in Guntersville, AL

The Mountain Valley Arts Council at 300 Gunter Avenue, Guntersville, Alabama, is hosting a reception for artist Tommy Thompson beginning at 6 p.m. on Monday, June 2, 2008. This reception will launch a month-long exhibition through June 30 of Thompson's paintings entitled "A Study in Light and Shadows: A Solo Exhibition by Tommy Thompson," at the Council's Gallery on Gunter Avenue. The Gallery's hours of operation are Monday through Friday from 9 to 4 p.m. and other times by appointment (telephone: 256-571-7199).


The artist will be donating 20% of the proceeds from the sale of the paintings to the Arts Council. Refreshments will be provided during the reception. Come to meet the artist and learn about his interesting life of travel, painting on location, and what inspires him to paint the world around us.
Tommy Thompson was an architectural and commercial 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. Tommy Thompson Art recently ranked No. 33 on the top 100 web sites out of 2,000 artists on Fine Art Studio Online. The Top 100 is calculated based on a mathematical formula called focal point rank (FPRank). FPRank considers popularity, traffic, content, recency and a variety of factors.

Thompson 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. 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. For more information about Thompson and his artwork, log onto http://www.tommythompsonart.com/.

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 includes 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.

Reception in Franklin, TN, to Honor Artist Tommy Thompson

The Heirloom Shop at 404 Main Street in Franklin, TN, is hosting a reception for artist Tommy Thompson from 5 to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, May 20, 2008. One of the door prizes at this event will be an 8 x 10 inch plein air oil painting by Thompson. Thompson completed this painting on location at a popular spot on the Natchez Trace Parkway. Refreshments will be provided during the reception. Come to meet the artist and learn about his interesting life of travel, painting on site, and what inspires him to paint the world around us.

Tommy Thompson was an architectural and commercial 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. Tommy Thompson Art recently ranked No. 33 on the top 100 web sites out of 2,000 artists on Fine Art Studio Online. The Top 100 is calculated based on a mathematical formula called focal point rank (FPRank). FPRank considers popularity, traffic, content, recency and a variety of factors.

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. For more information about Thompson and his artwork, log onto http://www.tommythompsonart.com/

Huntsville, AL, Art League Invites Tommy Thompson to Discuss His Approach to Plein Air Painting

(Fighting Joe, Golf Course," by Tommy Thompson, 12x16 Oil on Canvas)

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.

For more information about Thompson and his artwork, log onto http://www.tommythompsonart.com/

" Farm Pleasure, "New Painting by Tommy Thompson

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, our 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.

Tommy Thompson Featured on "Area of Design.com"

During the entire month of March 2008, an interview with painter, Tommy Thompson, will be live on Area of Design.com. Just scroll down to the section, "In the Spotlight" to see the questions and answers of the interview. Eight of Thompson's paintings are shown on the web magazine this month. They include: "Cold Ride," "Emerald Lake," "Grazing with a View," "Horses of the Tetons," "Lake Louise," "Morning at Foggy Bottom," "Sunday at Grandpa's," "December Light."

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

"Art at the Gardens: 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.

Some of Thompson's paintings that are now on display at the Gardens include "Horses of the Tetons," "Jackson Hole Road," "Jack Warner's Garden," "Leisure Morning," "Emerald Lake," "Priscilla's Geraniums," "Sidewalk Cafe," "Birmingham Botanical Gardens," "Cold Ride," "Aldridge Gardens," and "Morning at the Cove."

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