2022 celebrates fifty-one wonderful years of my full-time career in fine art. My art is sold through select galleries, directly from my website and studio, in special events and through commission requests from patrons. Also I sell my popular prints to selected galleries-frame shops for their display and retail sales. If you are interested, contact me and tell me about your business.
Over the years I have found many superb subjects for my artistic creations. The world of New Orleans jazz musicians and the old club environs have been especially fun to work with and have brought an enthusiastic following world wide. Portrayals of the colorful life of New Orleans are engaging and a ball to sketch and paint; bringing that character and color to many homes, restaurants and offices. Since returning to my native Texas it has been exciting to delve into imaginative depictions of the vintage west and southwest. The romance of the Old West has such a wealth of imagery, it’s a feast for the artist. Jazz clubs, Old steamboats, characters of the old west, Creole cookery, pirates and other rogues… these are some of my celebrations of life in art. Distinctive portrait rendering is done by commission as is house portraiture.
The media most incorporated is a unique hybrid aqueous technique integrating finely detailed pen & ink line rendering with highly developed acrylic color-wash painting. Some are executed in a classic oil-type acrylic medium on canvas or art board. Drawings range from pencil sketch to an ink line rendering reminiscent of master etchings.
Commercial applications have had a good range of projects.
Years past I worked with architect Leon J. Impastato to render ‘before and after’ paintings of his wonderful French Quarter building renovations. A fun period found me creating designs and art for Hot Stamped Cups, Inc. used by Carnival Krewes such as Zulu and promotions such as Elizabeth Taylor's Passion Perfume. Thompson art has embellished magazine covers and articles, special posters and exclusive print editions, including Audubon Zoo, New Orleans Jazz & Food Festival, Mardi Gras Upriver, Denton Arts & Jazz Fest, San Antonio Jazz festival, Jazz on & Off the Wall Setauket NY, New Orleans A' la Carte, Vignette Magazine, Go Magazine, Book of U.S. Rivers, Stony Brook Museum, McDermott International, Tulane Medical Alumni and Bell Telephone among others.
In 1971 I arrived in New Orleans to begin my fulltime career as a fine artist. Since my early youth painting and sketching, along with other creative media was a fascination. My art was selling and gained recognition for years and I had a successful period of graphic design and illustration both before and after moving to the French Quarter. I consider art a calling and know I have been blessed to pursue the creative life.
