Today we’d like to introduce you to Tommy Thompson.
Hi Tommy, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
My love of the visual arts began in childhood and a native ability was recognized and encouraged. It was my fortune to have excellent early guidance, an important element was sketching out in the real world which provided inspiration, themes and visual material throughout my lengthy career. During college I worked as a technical illustrator and studied studio painting and etching (intaglio printing) at TCU but became restless and left the academic world hoping to begin my ‘real’ fine art career. But that was not to be… so after four months o starving I lucked into a job as a graphic production artist, then shortly later I moved up to graphic designer and illustrator. That period I moved from a small apartment to a fine old Greek revival home in a vintage area of town. A unique shop specializing in modern furniture and African design accessories had me doing ink drawings of African wildlife….. which was fun. On weekends from the graphic job I also began doing quick portraits in a local Irish Pub providing little cash but valuable skill building. While that was a fun challenge and put food on the table, it still wasn’t the fine art lifestyle I hoped for. So once again I left a perfectly secure situation to push toward that idea of the freewheeling fine artist. Ahha…. This time, remembering the four months of starvation, I bought several loaves of bread and jars of peanut butter and set out for New Orleans to try my hand on the venerable Jackson Square in the French Quarter. After the travel expense and securing my first apartment in the city it turned out I didn’t have the fee for the license to work on Jackson Square. Thank goodness for peanut butter. That’s when my wife met Captain Bill Christian. Ol’ Bill told me that I could set up next to him and he’d see tha I could stay for one week…. But by the end of the week the fee must be paid or I had to leave. The week or small portraits brought the fee and our first café dining in the old Quarter. Portrait work was the beginning but ink sketches of street musicians and old buildings ushered in the next creative phase. That old instruction to do live, on location sketching and painting really paid off. Jackson Square was a modestly profitable situation and nurtured a spurt of artistic growth. One day I was doing a couple of wondeful old buildings with lace iron and a fellow stopped and asked what I might charge for the two. He jumped on the offer and I explained thos two were sold, but I would be happy to do two more, just for him. That was the beginning of a fine friendship that led me (or drug me to) to the gallery I would spend over twenty-five years with. His name was Ron Zappe and later Ron created Zapp’s potato chips. That gallery we Liberty Gallery and Ron was friends with its owner, Joan Liberty… a well known colorful gallery owner on Royal Street. Joan took me into her ‘stable’ of artists and I began doing artwork of New Orleans exclusively for her. My skill and style blossomed and so did the prices. She had much to say about artists and their absurd low pricing. During those years I began painting the actual jazz musicians from Bourbon Street and wherever the might show up. Those paintings became wonderfully popular and Joan had patrons waiting for the next Tommy original. The street scenes were as popular and I loved depicting the characters of that city…. Including the Quarter Hippies and old street vendors. The subjects seemed endless… even steamboats, streetcars and views of the French Market were a joy to paint. Also vintage photos of the Bayou Saint John melon boats, old riverboats and such were tantalizing themes. Joan and I began producing Limited edition prints of my work around 1975. Seems that idea had not become popular until then. The prints were photo-litho and I would number and sign each. Joan found select galleries in the area and began distribution a limited quantity. I was asked to produce a few prints with a hand remarque for an additional fee. It seemed crazy that some of the more developed color remarques sold for five hundred dollars. There are many stories during that period but I’ll just say the experiences and people met during those years was a dream come true. Liberty Gallery closed in 1995, Joan died right after Hurricane Katrina. Since then I have sold in small galleries and spent some years selling and fun events in the Texas region. Eight now I am looking forward to my second cataract eye surgery, tomorrow. The first eye has turned out very good, it seems. After both eyes heal I will be getting new prescription glasses. It is my hope to recover and continue to paint & sketch until the day I go to meet Joan, Ron, and the many friends and old Jazz musicians I have known. That all sounds fun to me. As my young son once said…. I love Artin’.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Sure… The road for a young artist is unsure and often a challenge in the income realm. The work at skill growth and the search for themes that inspire had it ups and downs. For me it took time which would allow the natural development of a personal, distinctive style… during that “time” bills had to be paid, food was needed. Hahaha, I once painted a plate of sardines before I would allowing my eating. It was a thought that people would buy my food paintings and allow more food!!! Not a big market for charming paintings of sardines though.
I had discovered the marketing possibilities of New Orleans’ Jackson Square during a summer of 1968 vacation. But I worked as a technical illustrator (on the F-111) and a graphic designer (commercial art) before being able to return to New Orleans. Still a venue like that street market, in a popular tourist setting, allowed me to work day after day… consequently skill, vision and style began to emerge. Following that was a long period popular gallery affiliation… the style matured and recognition blossomed…. the skill of that gallery owner was a massive boon.
I wonder what paths may be available to young artists ( or young at heart) today. Would be a fun subject to investigate.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
My work is mainly done in what I call ‘hybrid watercolor’, in which acrylic paint is the color element and this is painted over a fine India ink line drawing. I start with a pencil sketch for the idea, the placement of elements and proportions. The ink line-work develops the images and detail. The use of acrylic paint allows rich color and shading… bringing depth to the scene. Those works are on professional, acid free watercolor papers.
Also I love doing highly detailed ink drawings. The subjects may be people such as jazz musicians, pirates, western nostalgic characters and even a fun cast of animal characters in clothing…. You’d have to see to appreciate.
I would call my work romantic realism in that it depicts real life in appositive spirit with pleasurable eye appeal.
Even today I still paint timeless New Orleans jazzers, and other characters of the Big Easy. Along with them Fun representations of pirates and as said old west characters. The occasional building or landscape, usually peppered with interesting folk. Whatever sparks some excitement might find itself rolling out the end of my brush or pen. Commissions have often brought a fun new theme or subject.
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
Hahaha…. I’m not sure. But fine, visual art has been around for a very long time. The nature of the doing of fine art and its patronage has gone through alterations often forced or encouraged by changes in societies. Right now I wonder what young, developing artists can do with the cost of simple housing and such. My path was blessed with a beginning stage on Jackson Square. Hopefully artists will still find a public which desires their works for various reasons and the living arrangements will allow the doing and selling to support them I’m sure art as a pursuit will survive though it may be a very interesting journey.
Interesting question… will be pondering more!
Pricing:
- Original will run the the range of $500-$800 for ink drawings
- Simple pencil or simple ink drawings run $100-$400
- Paintings in my Hybrid Watercolor style vary according to size, detail and finish… along with the subject. I’ve sold a single small watercolor of a pirate for $800. A higly developed jazz hall scene sold for $8000. So those can run a good range dependant of various factors
- Heavy acrylic paintings on board or canvaswill run in the wide price range as well. I’ll work with the buyer to suit their needs.
- My limited edition prints , at present, range from $20 for very small prints to $45 for medium (on 13″x19″ paper) and $65 9on 17″x22″) paper. Canvas prints are priced by size and othre factors upon request
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.tomsart4u.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tommy.thompson.52687
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tommy-thompson-2b253729/
Image Credits
All are my personal art works, copyright
