W. Frank Thompson's Blog

Preparing for Fairhope show

W. Frank Thompson — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 23:19:44 +0000

It’s now one year until the bovines travel to Fairhope, Alabama for the next show. There are a couple of works about done and several more in different stages of completion. While we could probably opt out with the current bovine paintings I hope to include a great number of new works for the show.

I get asked, “don’t you get tired of painting cows?” Not at all. Each cow has its own personality and it is fun to capture it on canvas. As the year progresses, my goal is to share the adventure. Hope to meet you back here soon.

Portraits

W. Frank Thompson — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 23:12:56 +0000

Recently, I have completed two portraits of which I am very proud. The first “Cohort in Knowledge” is based on a photograph I took of a friend. When I saw the photo I knew I was going to paint from it. I am pleased with how it turned out; it is one of my entries in the Annual Juried Show at the Ann Rudd Museum in Ozark.

The other portrait is of the mother and father of two friends. The one sister commissioned the painting to be given as a gift to her sister who celebrated a milestone birthday this year. (You will see by the banner she is wearing in the photo on my website that she turned 50.) These are two special people and to be involved in helping celebrate her birthday in this way is something I will always cherish. As the artist you always worry about capturing a person’s image and personality. It was a relief to hear her say “It’s of my parents!” when she opened the box.

I am back

W. Frank Thompson — Sat, 02 Jul 2011 00:34:27 +0000

It has been a while since I have written and for that I am sorry. This year has turned out to be a very busy one for me as an artist and in other aspects of my life. The bovine paintings are still the preferred subject and I am excited about the August-September 2012 one-man show in Fairhope, Alabama. The show will feature the cows and will be entitled “Bovine Point of View”. More about this as it develops.

Work continues on several portraits. There are several at different stages of completion. I am working on two couples, still relatively new for me. One was undertaken just because I took a photograph of the person and realized how much I wanted to capture that look. This one too has a couple of different dimensions and I hope to share it in August.

The support I receive from friends and those who I have yet to meet but who like my work is very humbling and appreciated. The cows are still fun and every time we go out to a pasture we find so much inspiration.

Stretching a bit this year

W. Frank Thompson — Sat, 12 Feb 2011 16:58:55 +0000

This year I will be trying a couple of new directions. The markets in which I show my work have been and hopefully will continue to be good for me. This year I hope to expand my markets. So far I have applied for juried shows in two new markets. We will see if my works are accepted. The cows continue to be good to me. This year I will try a couple of new directions there. I have a couple of photographs I have taken and have hanging by my desk to build inspiration. However, I am also trying a couple of new subjects and we will see how that goes.
Through the paintings we have met some great people and have had fun experiences. This will continue to be in my goals for the year.
Thank you for reading this blog and for your interest in my work.

Been a bit of time

W. Frank Thompson — Sat, 29 Jan 2011 02:02:24 +0000

I have not been as diligent in painting as I should be. This time of year the studio is cold and it takes a while to heat. This afternoon I did work a bit and the desire to paint is coming back.

Being patient is difficult when the desire to paint is there.

Where I am as an artist

W. Frank Thompson — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 11:37:39 +0000

This has been a fun year. The one-man show entitled “The Herd” was well received and several pieces were purchased. The show was the result of many hours of work. We ended up with 42 pieces on exhibit at the Meridian, Mississippi, gallery. The reception was attended by more than 75 art supporters and dear friends. My thanks to those who invested in my works and to the others who attended and supported the show.
The University of Southern Mississippi put together a beautiful show entitled “100 Alumni” and I was honored the painting of my father “Pop” was selected for the show. He and I were both pleased to have that work included as part of such an impressive collection of work. I realize the sacrifices he and my mother made to send me to USM back in the 1970s and it made the inclusion of his portrait special.
Where am I today and what is next? Cows will continue to be the subjects of many of my future works. There are several avenues I would like to explore and there may be another “The Herd” in the upcoming year. Portraits continue to intrigue me and I am working on several now. I have a hard time concentrating on just one work; I paint several at a time to allow the oils to dry as I build color. This has been a good year for me as an artist and I thank God for the inspiration and abilities given to my care. I am looking forward to the next year and hope you will be there with me.

100 Alumni

W. Frank Thompson — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 02:37:30 +0000

This weekend is the opening reception for the “100 Alumni” show at the University of Southern Mississippi. As a art graduate of USM I am proud to have my painting “Pop”, the portrait of my dad, included in the show. My dad is also proud to have his painting in the show.

“The Herd” opened Thursday night

W. Frank Thompson — Sun, 10 Oct 2010 22:08:45 +0000

Many thanks to those who attended the opening reception for “The Herd” on Thursday night. We had a great time and the art was well received. So many friends were there that it was hard to spend much time with any. Special thanks to my long-time friend John Solomon and his wife driving over from Vicksburg.

On the gallery walls was more than a year’s work. It was great to hear the comments and compliments on the pieces. I am humbled by those who invested in works. You never know what the reaction will be but it is so surprising and pleasing to hear someone say, “that’s my pet cow from when I was a child.”

There were several children there with their parents. This is great and I encourage more parents to expose their children to art.

The show will hand until mid November. Please stop by if you are in the Meridian area. K Fulton Art & Frame is located at 2000 Front Street right across from the Union Station (train depot) parking lot.

“The Herd” opens Thursday night

W. Frank Thompson — Sun, 03 Oct 2010 12:48:20 +0000

When I started the many hours of painting and work associated with having a one-man exhibition focusing on the subject of cows I confess there was one aspect of this I really did not consider nor did I see coming — the countless puns. I think I have heard them all and still find it humorous.

Now the paintings are all in the gallery. Invitations have been sent. The local newspaper has run a story about the show. After almost a year of preparation, the show opens with a reception Thursday night.

The cows have been awesome subjects. They are all so different. I confess I never noticed that before. With these paintings I hope I have captured their individual uniqueness.

“Mason,TX” is on his way

W. Frank Thompson — Sun, 03 Oct 2010 12:36:45 +0000

This weekend I at long last mailed the final of the three portraits painted as a personal challenge. “Mason,TX” the portrait of a crying, one-hour old boy was hard to see leave. All three of the portraits are special to me and I hope each of the paintings is special to the people involved – the subjects and my three friends who submitted the photographs.

While I have learned from this experience it has been fun. Through this I have reconnected with old friends and met new ones. Trina and I had the pleasure of hand-delivering one and had a great weekend full of adventure and laughter.

I thank Mike, Nancy and Ken for agreeing to be involved in this project.