Super Bowl Sunday Shopping

Girls, while your husband or significant other is absorbed in the Super Bowl game, why not go shopping online at Village Prints? You will find limited-edition prints (published on parchtone paper) of more than 300 towns across 12 states, including Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas. A few of the towns that you will find on the web site are Bristol, Tennessee; Birmingham, Alabama; North Little Rock, Arkansas; Palatka, Florida; Camilla, Georgia; Due West, South Carolina; Kannapolis, North Carolina; Bowling Green, Kentucky; Bunkie, Louisiana; Yazoo City, Mississippi; Hayti, Missouri; and Corsicana, Texas. These prints make excellent gifts for any occasion; some people present them to their friends and relatives as they retire, for birthday or valentine gifts, or any other reason.

Happy Shopping!

A Place Called Hope

What two famous men were born in Hope, Arkansas? Former President Bill Clinton, and former Governor Mike Huckabee came from this famous little small town.To learn more about the print of Hope, AR, check out this link.

The drawing of Hope was done by Tommy Thompson's daughter, Michelle Rideout, who is the one of the South’s most prolific artists in capturing small town Americana. Her drawings are known for their meticulous attention to detail.

To purchase one of the prints of Hope pictured above, click here: http://www.villageprints.com/drawings/arkansas/hope-ar.

Homesick for the South

Are you a transplanted Southerner? Are you homesick for your Southern roots? The hometown drawings of 12 Southern states available through Village Prints offer transplanted Southerners the chance to soothe their homesickness by having composite prints of their hometowns hanging on their walls. We received a call recently from a lady originally from Tennessee, who is now living in Florida. She told us how homesick she was for the South, and memorabilia like our prints of Southern towns would be so welcome in her home. Although she already owns our print of her hometown of Columbia, TN, she immediately ordered prints of three other towns around Columbia, TN.

Last October we met M. L. Rose, the author of The Road to Eden's Ridge, at the Factory in Franklin, TN. Ms. Rose is an exuberant writer and interesting conversationalist. When she learned about the 350+ pencil drawings that the artists of Village Prints have done, she became very enthusiastic about the prospect of promoting these prints because during today's economic downturn so many Americans are now wanting to return to basics--to return to their roots. Be sure to check out the website at http://www.villageprints.com to see if we have drawn your hometown. You will find drawings of towns in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas.

Hope, Arkansas, Birthplace of Mike Huckabee

The artistic team of Tommy Thompson and his two daughters, Michelle and Melanie, has produced composite drawings of more than 300 towns across 12 Southern states. These drawings can be viewed on the web site, Village Prints. One of the prints is Hope, Arkansas, the birthplace of former Governor Mike Huckabee.  The drawing of Hope was done by Thompson's daughter, Michelle Rideout, who is the one of the South’s most prolific artists in capturing small town Americana.

Struck by the pride of older Americans in the heritage of their towns, Thompson transformed glimpses of the past found in old, faded photographs and memories into composite drawings, which were then printed as limited editions. Collectors of Thompson's prints sometimes find it difficult to locate someone who is willing to part with their prints once all the prints of a particular town have been sold. The artistic team preserved the memories of bygone days for more than 300 towns in twelve states across the South.

Iron City, Tennessee, Origin of Village Prints

In 1984 artist Tommy Thompson was traveling through a small town called Iron City, Tennessee. When he stopped by one of the stores for a soft drink, he was amazed at the town pride that he heard in the voices of the old men sitting around a pot-bellied stove in the store. After listening some more, he learned that a community group needed a fundraiser to help refurbish a park along a creek that ran through the town. The people in the general store, through their descriptions and recollections, helped the artist capture in a pencil drawing the essence of the buildings that had long ago been torn down. The project was quite successful, selling all prints in a month or so, to benefit the small town. From that spark, the artistic team preserved the memories of bygone days for more than 300 towns in twelve states across the South.

For more than 20 years, Thompson and his two daughters, Michelle and Melanie, preserved small-town Americana for posterity in their drawings. Check out the newly redesigned web site to see if you can find the place of your roots. For example, you will see a composite drawing of Hope, Arkansas, the birthplace of two famous men, Governor Mike Huckabee and former President Bill Clinton.

In their travels as painter, photographer, and writer, Tommy and Marie Thompson have met some very interesting people. In Franklin, TN, they met M. L. Rose, the author of the new book, The Road to Eden's Ridge. In a conversation with Tommy Thompson, Rose learned of his original career as an illustrator. She was fascinated with the artist's concept for the unique business that has preserved memories of the past for many Americans who grew up in small towns across the South. Rose advised Thompson to promote vigorously his unusual web site because, she said, in an economic downturn Americans want to reminisce about their roots--the place where they grew up.