ARTIST STATEMENT
In this series of paintings, I explore the duality I have always felt in relation to water. As a child I had a ferocious fear of swimming. In spite of that fear, or perhaps because of it, I began scuba diving. By facing that challenge, it forever changed my view of the sea.
When I layer thin washes of oil paint, one over another, clarity emerges slowly, the way it does moving underwater. The textures and forms are shaped by the intersection of thick brush strokes and delicate marks made with brushes, knives and scrapers. My materials mimic the luminous flux between the surface and what lies beneath.
Deep in the sea, kelp and seaweed respond to unseen forces. Nothing stays still. These images dive deeply into memories. They piece together the ever-changing motion in the turning tides which surround us.
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Bio
Thompson realized at a young age that she looked at the world with artist eyes and embarked on the path of exploring materials, techniques and perspectives. In her early years, she lived and worked in her pottery studio/gallery in Nova Scotia before leaving ceramics behind to re-locate to Victoria, BC. She received her Bachelor of Fine Art from Nova Scotia College of Art & Design University and a Master of Adult Education from St. Francis Xavier University. She is an active member of the Board of Directors, Xchanges Gallery and Studios. Working from her home studio, her current art practice is oil painting. Her works focus on depicting her memories of being underwater and on exploring the surrounding waters of the Salish Sea.