Tommy Thompson's Paintings Take On New Look

Painting is similar to playing golf; to win, you must make every stroke count." Tommy Thompson

Tommy Thompson's paintings are taking on a new look. They are showing a more painterly style, and this is being recognized by other artists, gallery owners, and collectors alike. As any artist can attest, most artists labor over their paintings for many hours. After many, many hours of frustration, it is a welcome refrain to hear an artist like Tommy Thompson say--"I finally know where I want to go. I can see my work improving. I know what I need to do." We invite you to take a tour of Tommy's newly redesigned web site at http://www.tommythompsonart.com/ . Be sure to pause to see "Flat Creek in Jackson Hole, Wyoming" "Leisure Morning," and "Hot Lunch."

March has already been a whirlwind month for us. In addition to being in Local Color Gallery in Nashville, Tommy now has works in Village Fine Art Gallery in Knoxville, TN; Willis Gray Gallery in Decatur, AL; and Savage Gallery in Nashville. We learned recently that one of Tommy's paintings is being considered by an interior designer in Washington, DC for a new bank in Knoxville.

This week Tommy is putting the finishing touches on more new work to be shown at "An Evening of Beauty Art Show and Sale" by Agathos School in Columbia, TN. The show is being held in the antebellum home at Rippavilla Plantation, Spring Hill, TN, on Saturday, March 17 from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. The show will also feature live music and an hors d'oeuvres reception. For more information concerning the show and sale, please call 931-388-0556.

Artists, collectors, and gallery owners will want to read the book, Living the Artist's Life, by Paul Dorrell. Dorrell is the founder of Leopold Gallery in Kansas City. His book is a guide to growing, persevering, and succeeding in the art world. Because Dorrell is an artist--novelist--in his own right, he understands the many trials and tribulations of living the artist life. Dorrell is a columnist for the Artist's Magazine. The success of his book took him on a tour of 60 cities and at such venues as the Art Students League of New York, Chicago Artists' Coalition, etc. To learn more about this book, visit http://www.pauldorrell.com

We learned about Dorrell's book through an online class entitled "Promoting Your Artwork with Confidence," conducted by Alyson B. Stanfield, in which Marie is enrolled. Anyone who wants to further the business side of their art career would do well to contact Alyson regarding her online classes, seminars, and books. To learn more about this opportunity, visit http://www.artbizcoach.com

On Friday we were pleased to attend the one-man show of new works by a good artist friend, Gary Young, at the Gordon Jewish Community Center, 801 Percy Warner Blvd, Nashville. Gary's show runs through March 30; for more information, please call 615-356-7170. Gary has studied under several Nashville area artists including Dawn Whitelaw, Jody Thompson, Roger Dale Brown, Jason Saunders and Chad Boyd. He has furthered his training with internationally known artists Kevin Macpherson, Scott Christensen, and Kenn Backhaus.

We recently assisted a fellow artist--Charles Thomas Cox--in beginning the process of developing his web site, and welcome everyone to check out the site of this fantastic artist and teacher at http://www.fineartstudioonline.com/charlescox

P.S. Don't forget to check out my latest paintings at http://www.tommythompsonart.com/ and conversations about the origin of the work at http://tommythompsonart.blogspot.com/ and feel free to leave a comment. If you know an artist or someone else who is interested in art, please feel free to forward this newsletter to them.

"Even if you are not an artist, if you can learn to see like an artist, your life will forever change." --Tommy Thompson, 2007

Tommy Thompson--"Penobscot Bay, Maine"

While vacationing on North Haven Island, Maine, with artist friends, Mimi Sammis and George Walker, I painted a small field study of the view of Penobscot Bay, which our patio overlooked. Back home in my studio, I painted a larger version of the scene using the field study and reference photographs, displayed on my computer screen. North Haven Island is almost untouched by commercialism. The quaint nature of the village on the island has been preserved. Pastoral scenes in the surrounding area offer unlimited opportunities for any painter. This 16" x 20" oil on canvas painting is now in a private collection in Germantown, TN. "Our painting, 'Penobscot Bay,' is lovelier today than it was when I first spotted it hanging on the wall at Palladio," says Paulette, McMillin. "I originally purchased the painting for one particular room; however, because of its versatility and coloring, it fits the decor of almost any room in our home. 'Penobscot Bay' certainly is one of our most prized pieces of art!" link.

Tommy Thompson--"Morning at Maggie Valley"

Maggie Valley, North Carolina, is located near the Smoky Mountain National Park. It is known for the 318 curves on the road through the Valley. It was on this road that we found this rustic barn and silo. "Morning at Maggie Valley" is a studio piece that was created using a field study painted onsite. The field study was critiqued at Old Lyme, Connecticut by Plein Air Painters of America (PAPA) artist, Ned Mueller , who praised the small painting's "color harmony and its good use of principles." I created the studio piece using the smaller field study and reference photographs. I used a simple pallet of red, yellow, blue and white (cadmium yellow light, cadmium red light, alizirin crimson, ultramarine blue, and titanium white).In his book, Landscape Painting: Inside and Out, Kevin Macpherson emphasizes what I have also found to be true. "Color harmony is almost automatic when you use a limited palette," says Macpherson. "Once they (the primaries) are mixed, it becomes possible to find harmonies among the mixtures." This 16 x 20 oil on canvas painting sells for $950.00 and can be purchased at this link.

Tommy Thompson--"Cloverdale Rolling Meadow"

It has often been said that there are diamonds right under our noses if we will only look and observe closely. We have discovered a "diamond" near Cloverdale, Alabama--this meadow is located on a farm that has turned out to be a painter's paradise, with a masterpiece-in-the-making at almost every turn. I painted a field study of this meadow onsite while young deer played hide-and-seek with me. Back in the studio, I used the small field study and reference digital photographs displayed on my computer screen to produce this larger piece. Drawing on my observation of the work of the famous wildlife artist, the late Lanford Monroe , I employed her technique of obscurely inserting wildlife into landscapes. I discreetly placed two of the playful deer in this piece. This 18" x 24" oil on canvas painting sells for $1,295.00 and can be purchased at this link.

Tommy Thompson--"Morning at Rock Spring"

"Morning at Rock Spring" was painted one fall morning when my wife and I traveled to this pretty location a few miles from our home in Florence, Alabama. Rock Spring is a spot on the Natchez Trace Parkway; this particular spot is known for the multitude of ruby-throated hummingbirds that gravitate to the spring each fall. Many people in the area visit Rock Spring to view these beautiful birds. I liked the play of lights and shadows on the spring. The 8" x 10" oil painting can be purchased for $320.00 at this link.

A Tommy Thompson Original--The Perfect Birthday Gift

Why not consider an original piece of artwork for that special someone's birthday gift? Artwork is a gift that will be cherished for many years to come. As Karl Eric Leitzel says on the website, Landscape Artists International, "good art brings added meaning to our lives, whether through the raising of thought-provoking questions or simply a greater appreciation of the beauty the world has to offer." Original art has the possibility of increasing in value as the reputation of the artist increases over time. An example of a piece of artwork that anyone will cherish is the 16" x 20" oil painting, Priscilla's Geraniums," shown here. I painted this one while vacationing on North Haven Island, Maine, last summer. Please click here to purchase the painting.

Ken Auster's New Video, "Intellect and Passion"

Happy New Year to Everyone! If any artist has not made New Year's resolutions, you may like to check out Alyson B. Stanfield's list of "Artist Resolutions" on her web site, ArtBizCoach.com, for an interesting perspective. One resolution she offers is to "Resolve to practice a ten-second commercial about myself so that I know what to say when meeting new people." Alyson offers a subscription to a very helpful, interesting newsletter on her web site.

A New Year's gift to myself is Ken Auster's new 3-hour video entitled "Intellect & Passion." I studied under Auster at the Scottsdale Artist School's Plein Air Painters of America (PAPA) Workshop in Old Lyme, Connecticut, in 2003. In fact, on his new video, Auster refers to a conversation that he and I had at Old Lyme. During the workshop, I watched another PAPA artist paint a scene with the trees in the distance painted a pale, misty blue. When I asked that artist why he was painting the green trees in the distance blue, he said, "I am painting what I see." During Auster's demo, he said, "You paint what you know, not what you see; you know that the trees in the distance must be painted a pale blue in order for them to recede into the distance." That day I told Auster that I was so glad to hear him say that because the other artist had confused me and caused me to think that I must be color blind because I definitely did not see blue trees in that scene. I was surprised to hear him recount our conversation on his new video. Auster's video can be purchased by calling 949-494-9525 or via Ken Auster.com. This week I enrolled in Auster's 3-day workshop scheduled for Nashville in October 2007. This workshop is being sponsored by the Chestnut Group.

The excitement is building around the studio as we get ready for the "Art Event at Lipscomb," scheduled for Friday, February 9, 2007, through Sunday, February 11, 2007, at Lipscomb Campus School in Brentwood, Tennessee. A slate of 43 fine artists are scheduled to participate in this event, which always proves to be very successful.

The new year has brought me some new exciting opportunities. One example is an invitation to submit work to the Trinity School's "Spotlight on Art Artist Market and Gala," scheduled for February 13-17, 2007, in Atlanta. Another message invited me to submit work for consideration in Decatur, GA's Arts Alliance Fine Arts Exhibition scheduled for May 22-June 3, 2007, in the Dalton Gallery at Agnes Scott College.

Anyone who is looking for an exceptional workshop conducted by one of Nashville's finest artists would do well to check out those offered by Roger Dale Brown. Roger is a signature member of the Oil Painters of America, member of the Cumberland Society of Painters, and the Plein Air Painters of the Southeast. Roger has won numerous national and regional awards, and his work is carried by several outstanding galleries in the South.

Artists will be interested in checking out the exceptional service in web site development and maintenance offered by Clint Watson of Fine Art Studio Online (FASO). You will be pleasantly surprised at how Clint has simplified the process of establishing and maintaining an artist web site.

Happy Painting!

Tommy Thompson

Kevin Macpherson's New Book, "Landscape Painting: Inside and Out," and DVD, "Brush with Life: Kevin Macpherson's Landscapes"

We would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. We have many exciting happenings to look forward to in 2007.

If our fellow artists have not received or requested a special gift for Christmas, you may wish to consider a new book by a master plein air painter from Taos, NM--Kevin Macpherson. His new book is entitled Landscape Painting: Inside and Out. In this book Kevin shows how to use a limited palette as he does, how to incorporate impressionistic touches of broken color to give a landscape painting depth and vibrancy that enhances its realism, and how to control the fleeting qualities of atmosphere and light by establishing a value plan early and sticking with it. His step-by-step demonstrations are presented in easy-to-understand language. You can learn more about the book and order it from Kevin's web site. My wife and I met Kevin and Wanda Macpherson in 2003 at the Plein Air Painters of America Workshop in Old Lyme, CT, and later in Tuscaloosa, AL, at another painting workshop. I am pleased to have been accepted as a participant in Kevin's 2007 "En Plein Air Masters Chateau des Arts Mentor Series" to be conducted at Lake Louise in the Canadian Rockies. Kevin is an enthusiastic, entertaining, and inspiring teacher, and Marie and I look forward to another exciting painting adventure with the Macphersons.

Another excellent gift idea for artists is the new instructional video entitled "Brush With Life: Kevin Macpherson's Landscapes," which is available from Brush with Life. This new DVD will be appreciated by artists and art collectors alike. In the video Kevin lets you know what he is thinking as he paints. He shows the scene that he is painting, broken down into value puzzle pieces, and he takes you through the process for two paintings from start to finish. He shares his effective method of capturing the magic of the moment with spots of beautifully related color in an impressionistic painterly style. The setting of the video moves from a location in France to his home studio in Taos, NM and the surrounding area. An additional segment called "Anyone Can Paint," which proved interesting to us, shows how his wife Wanda, who has a business background, has now taken up painting and doing quite well.

For those artists who need a trouble-free method of having a web site and maintaining it, you may wish to check out Clint Watson's ingenious plan at http://www.fineartstudioonline.com This has proven to be an excellent solution to maintaining our web site at www.fineartstudioonline.com/tommythompson

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year,

Tommy Thompson

Adventures of Tommy Thompson

This has already been a very busy year on my journey through the art world. Because of my many experiences with other fine artists this year, my style of oil painting is improving day by day, or so my family says (see my latest paintings at www.tommythompsonart.com). Many more activities are planned throughout the rest of the year.

During the spring and summer, I participated in two oil portrait workshops with Michael Shane Neal and one with Dawn Whitelaw--two master portrait artists in Nashville, Tennessee. These three oil portrait workshops afforded the participants several days of painting oil portraits of live models. Each day we had a different model. This experience gave all of the participants a great sense of satisfaction as they polished their skills.

Dawn Whitelaw has said that Everett Raymond Kinstler, an American icon in oil portrait painting, told her once that she should go outside to paint landscapes if she wanted to grow as a portrait painter. I believe that there is much merit in this advice because plein air painting creates a freer style of painting and encourages a more painterly style of oil painting.

July found my wife Marie and me painting on North Haven Island, Maine, with good friends, George Walker of Severna Park, MD, and Mimi Sammis of Narragansett, RI. Mimi's art show on Rhode Island Public Television ("Mimi's Art Studio") was recently offered nationwide to all public television stations.

On October 20, we had the pleasure of attending a presentation by Michael Shane Neal at the Fall School Building in Nashville. Shane is a very gifted artist and speaker; the topic of his presentation was "The Life and Work of John Singer Sargent." John Singer Sargent is remembered as one of the greatest portrait artists of the 19th century. Everett Raymond Kinstler--the portrait artist of Presidents, First Ladies, well-known personalities, and government leaders--will most likely be remembered as the greatest portrait painter of the 20th century. He has earned the accolade of national treasure from the Director of the Butler Institute of American Art. In my opinion, Kinstler's protege--Michael Shane Neal--will become known as the greatest portrait painter of the 21st century. I feel very honored to call Shane my good friend and mentor in portrait painting.

Paintbrushes were flying on Saturday, October 21, during the Annual Oil Painters of America Great Paint Out. This event was held at the Bowie Park and Nature Center in Fairview, Tennessee from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. This annual painting exercise is open to all artists working in any media. You do not need to be a member of the Oil Painters of America. A special guest was a representative from the American Artist Magazine, who took photos of the paint-out for possible use in an upcoming issue. Last year's paint-out in Nashville attracted 43 participants, second only to Texas with 45. The purpose of the annual event is to encourage artists to paint landscapes in the open air (plein air), to study nature, and to enjoy the experience of painting oil landscapes from life. Artists across the United States participated in this annual art event. The Bowie Park offers various points of interest including wetlands, grasslands, forests, and wildlife. At the end of the paint-out Nashville artist Gayle Levee offered free critiques for any interested artists. If anyone has questions about the annual OPA/Tennessee paint-out, you may contact Lori Putnam.

During November 9-12, we participated in the Radnor Lake Art Show with the Chestnut Group. Radnor Lake is Tennessee's first official "Natural Area" located in the heart of Nashville. Visitors consider Radnor "a community that's used with love and respect," seldom found in metropolitan areas. With 1,100 acres, Radnor Lake Natural Area is the largest pocket of wilderness in the U.S. in close proximity to a major city. It is truly a quiet haven in the midst of both commercial and residential development. Rolling forested hills with twisting paths are enjoyed by thousands of visitors who come to jog, meditate, explore and to better understand the beauty of this unique protected ecosystem. Visitors discover hundreds of species of wildflowers, mosses and ferns; listen to the sounds of various songbirds; explore the lake on a midnight canoe float; and watch deer, ducks, and other wildlife. The Friends of Radnor Lake and the Chestnut Group--a nonprofit alliance of landscape artists-- sponsored the art show to benefit the preservation and maintenance of Radnor.