Hello from Georgia
 

Hey everybody,
This is Tom. I sign my paintings Thomas Nash (sometimes Thomas V. Nash) but friends call me Tom. I technically have been a member a long time but have not been on the site so it's like I'm new here.

I've been a professional portrait painter for almost thirty five years now.

I will come back and add more bio stuff later. First I am going to post a link about an article on portraiture from the May 29th Washington Post art critic Blake Gopnik. I'm going to the Cafe Guerbois and do that now.

Gopnik, the author is one of these elitists with a very narrow view of what can be called "art". Since he believes that painting as an art form is "dead" and that no "important" artist would bother with it, we kinda know that we aren't going to be reading something objective or informative about traditional painting.

I will eventually post some photos of the only official portrait I have in the Capitol along with a series of photos showing how I did it. I'll do that here and on my own site when I have time.

Very warm greetings to you, Tom! We will look forward to reading your masterful viewpoints on painting as well as other informative gems in future posts.

Warm regards,

Edgar

Tom, Welcome to this Forum! I've admired your incredible work for a long time and I'm delighted to see your post here. I really regret not talking to you more at he PSA conference but you were always surrounded by too many fans. ;)

A warm welcome Mr. Nash.
I admire your work very much and I'm happy to know that you're here. I'm also anxious to see your future website finished.

Hi Tom, add me to the long time fan list! Welcome!

Welcome to the forum Tom,
Looking forward to seeing your art and learn from your long time experience.

Allan

Welcome back Tom. Always great to have another consummate professional helping us out.

Tom

I, too, am an admirer of your work and I look forward to hearing more about how you craft a painting.

Robert

Welcome Tom,
I also look forward to your input on the forum.
Love your songs too! Wish there was a way that audio could be posted so that everyone could hear the songs that you treated us with at the conference!
Mary

Tom,

You could certainly post the lyrics to that one song - was it Portrit Artist Blues? (misspelling of "portrit" is intentional)

Lyrics to "Portrit" Paintin' Blues by Thomas Nash
 

I' d be happy to post the lyrics. It should be noted that the three songs on the CD were written especially for other artists. For non portrait painters some of the references may be a bit "inside" but hey, why not have our own songs? It was nice to see how much everyone at the Washington Conference seemed to enjoy them.

I should also add, that I'm very glad that I'm a portrait painter, in fact I tried to make that clear in the final verse. In 35 years I've seen it all and I'm still smiling. This song is tongue in cheek and not intended to give the detractors of our favorite form of art any more ammunition!

Tom

Dear Tom,

How very nice to see you on line! Having purchased your CD in Reston (only after I realized that I laughed harder the second time I heard it), I am looking forward to playing it for my portrait class, whcih starts Tuesday morning.

I really look forward to your participation in the Forum!

Tuesday Morning
 

OK Chris, so when we start your Tuesday morning class at Scottsdale Artists' School, we get to hear the Portrait Paint'in Blues. How exciting. (I plan to be there early, so I can hear what I couldn't hear on my Mac.) See you on Tuesday morning...do you want a latte?
Carol :?

I'm getting new inspiration for the next CD
 

Thanks Chris,
I really had fun with the songs. I have several more that I didn't have time to record on that CD plus I've been working on some new ones. Should be ready before Dallas.

After reading Blake Gopnik's uninformed and erroneous critique of my painting in the W. Post I have a funny feeling that an "Art Critic" song can't be too far off!! WADAYATHIINK?

I'll be spending a week Plein Air painting soon. I'm going to be extra careful to watch my step as I carry my easel across the cow pasture,. (I think I'm hearing my next musical creation already,) "Don't Step in the Gopnik"

Great title!
 

Dear Tom,

It was such an honor to meet you in D.C. at the conference, and I have been frequently enjoying your CD as well. I have so many great pictures to send you too! It is nice to have you here at this Forum. I look forward to your posts and future inspired CD's.

Garth

Thanks Garth
 

Great pictures, I remember that you were shooting some really "arty" ones. Thanks for posting. Your paintings are very impressive. Congratulations on your award.

Thank you for making me laugh today, Tom!

I also suggest putting the faces of art critics on those souls tortured in Purgatory, should you ever get a big religious commission.

Me too, Tom.

Or "Walking tip-toe through the Gopniks" There are a few.

Allan

I posted a note for Tom's cd here .

It's a great idea for members who teach, as you can play it for your students if they get the blues. Only $12.95 + $2.00 S&H making it $14.95. to anywhere within the U.S.

Tom,

Welcome to our forum, it certainly is a pleasure to have someone of your accomplishment to toss the ball around with as it were.

I have found out it is a great place to hang out especially during those bouts of painting when everything is going wrong, to have the proverbial internet cuppa.

When do you log on to the SOG forum? How often?
 

Thanks everyone for the warm welcomes.
I'd be interested in knowing how other forum members plan their Internet time. I don't watch TV in the studio and I don't have a computer there either. I tend to focus on one thing at a time. Do you check the forum once a day, every once in a while, evenings, mornings?

I can see that I will need to get a handle on this. Not enough hours in a day for everything!

Hi Tom and welcome!
I've been following your thread on the Gopnik article, that's a beautiful painting, and it's really neat to see your process :cool:

For me, internet time is unplanned. . . but whenever check my email will pop over and check the new posts link here to see if anything new and interesting has been posted. Only problem with doing it that way is that if you only check out one or two of the new posts. . . the others might have fallen off the new posts list by the next time you log in and it can be easy to miss something interesting. :bewildere

Again welcome! (and please let us know when your web site goes live. . .)

My Web Site
 

Thanks Terri,
I am "live" sort of. you can find it at www.thomasnash.com but it doesn't have enough content for Google to pick up.

I claimed THOMASNASH.com years ago because I knew I wasn't the only one out there. Then I never got around to doing much with it.

I have posted more here on the forum in one day than on the site in six years. There is now a picture of my portrait of Zell Miller and a large view of the wall in my studio covered with paintings when I had a studio show.

Sharp eyes may recall the same paintings in the American Artist article in Feb. 1992. In other words those are all at least thirteen years old. I promise to do better soon!

I do the same as Terri, whenever I check my e-mail, three or four times a day.

Tom,

I have my model sit for 20 minutes with a 10 minute break. During the 10 minute break I run to the computer because I get so tense, and I want to come back with a fresh view.

Norman Rockwell, used to clean his studio when he got tense, but as I am usually in avoidance mode vis-a-vis cleaning, the internet is a more fun alternative.

I can't wait for your "Art Critic" song! Too bad we're not architects of medieval cathedrals or we could put their faces on the gargoyles.

I'll be spending a week doing some Plein Air painting soon too. I really need to get out of the studio and it will be like a vacation for me.

The "Don't Step in the Gopnik" comment made me laugh out loud!

Oh, on your question of how I manage my Internet/SOG Forum time: I try to keep it to the hours before 7 am or after 7 pm on most days. Though here it is 4:45 and I'm at the keyboard. I need someone to say to me, "Bad artist! Back to the easel with you!"