Exploring Landscapes With A Limited Palette: Interview With Michele Thompson
Michele Thompson was born and raised in Modjeska Canyon, CA, where she recognized her symbiotic relationship with elements of the natural world and developed a fondness for artfully capturing those interactions. She demonstrated an interest in drawing and painting from a young age, developing her skills gradually. Although she was accepted into the fine arts degree program at Laguna College of Art and Design in California, she chose to pursue a career path that better suited her vision of combining art and nature. She attended Colorado Mountain College and Alaska Pacific University an Outdoor Recreation and Wilderness Therapy degree path, where she began working in the outdoor industry. Her life was altered in 2019 with the passing of her father, an event whose chaos inevitably manipulated the course of her life. Now, Michele is devoted to her art practice as she seeks to deepen her understanding of life and death and to demonstrate the commonalities of these collective experiences. She has participated in three international artist residencies which have allowed her to expand her understanding of the vast cultural and spiritual leverages between humanity and nature.
Join us in the conversation with the artist Michele Thompson where she shares how she started to work with a limited palette, and how the pain from the loss of her Parents’ led her to this path of solace and experimentation. Read on to know Micheles’ inspiration behind the stunning Artwork and more.
1. What made you choose to work with a limited palette?
There was a substantial build-up that occurred before making the decision. I taught myself how to draw from observation throughout my childhood but did not use much color. It was mostly pencil drawing, exploring the world through a simple black-and-white lens. As a teenager, I taught myself how to use oils with the help of a high school art class that briefly touched on the basics. I struggled to understand how to translate my drawings into paintings, and how to use color in general. Because of this, I spent many years into my adulthood accepting that I’m just not creative enough to use color in a meaningful way, even though I excelled in the beginner painting courses I took in art school. I had become proficient in charcoal portraiture and still, life drawing and organically began my art career in this way.
The opportunity for immersive experimentation in painting landscapes gives me peace and a sense of fulfillment within myself.
2. Have there been any major life events that have influenced your work?
Yes. To start, I’m sure my tendency to avoid color in my drawings as a child as well as my belief that I’m unable to see the “big picture”, reflects the inconceivable amount of stress, confusion, and fear that characterized my childhood home life. Later, when I was 19, my mom was diagnosed with advanced metastatic Breast Cancer and passed away in 2016, after fighting for three years. Two years later, my dad was diagnosed with advanced Lung Cancer and passed in 2019, after one year. The resulting insurmountable depression marred my creativity and comprehensively stunted my personal and career growth. Many of these personal challenges and new responsibilities I encountered during my 20s are unnatural, and the methods offered to me to cope and improve were not sufficient nor practical. The societal response to things such as terminal illness, death, and grief is completely intriguing to me as someone who has confronted these things on a regular basis throughout my lifetime. These concepts always seem to find a way into my art, whether influencing the process or more literally visualized in the finished piece. After years of very serious depression, I decided I needed to change and became sober from alcohol last January. It was at this time I began to live my life and opened my eyes further to things I either didn’t understand before or didn’t care to understand. Last September, I did an artist residency in Ireland and decided to take a solo day trip to the Cliffs of Moher on a ferry, and I had a significant epiphany. I felt so small and insignificant next to these Gargantuan Cliffs, it forced me to reflect on how much time it must have taken for the waves and Earth to create this. I also subconsciously recalled memories of my dad and found myself in this beautiful moment of peace. I later realized that this was the first time I had thought about my dad without being crippled by grief, but rather, being overcome with warmth and joy. Now, when I think of my dad, I become happy having had the honor of knowing him and being his daughter. I returned home and created a painting of the cliffs in his honor, called “The Time Machine” (2023). These are only a few from my collection of major life events, which have sculpted me into who I am today. They have helped determine my path as an artist by fueling my curiosity for creative experimentation and interpretation.
3. What would you say is your biggest source of inspiration?
I’m inspired by a lot of things these days! I think the most obvious is nature, but it goes beyond that, to our human nature. Resilience! A plant growing out of its dead husk to return like a phoenix from its own ashes, or a person surmounting an adverse moment in life – that is inspirational to me. The part of our human nature that gives us the power to overcome hardship, whether an individual or a collective, and to thrive is completely inspiring! It seems to me that the natural world reflects our humanity back at us, like a mirror. I find that the things that previously held me back are the same things that inspire me today. Any loss I’ve experienced is turned into something that evokes positivity and solution-oriented thinking. I believe looking inward is my biggest source of inspiration.
4. Painting with such fine detail must take a lot of concentration and discipline. How do you recharge or rest when you need to step away?
It certainly does. Most of my process has me on my feet, focused on fastidious brushstrokes, deep in contemplation. This wears down my body, while the mental undulations of creating can overwhelm my mind. When I recharge, I aim to nurture my body and mind by immersing myself in my other interests. I practice yoga and meditation to comprehensively heal. And, as one could imagine, I spend a considerable amount of time outside walking or simply being in nature, which is very cleansing. I also have a modest plant collection that I’m continuously learning from, and I read quite vigorously. Additionally, when I’m not creating, I’m looking at art. Wherever it is – social media, galleries, books, studio visits, museums, even simply the artistry of something – I view as much art as I can, every day. Spending time with my husband and our two cats can be reenergizing as well. They bring so much light into my life, just being around them provides a sense of calm that rounds out my whole existence. To do “nothing” has its benefits too – Being in silence or people watching, or just sitting in front of my current work-in-progress.
The act of painting gives my body a way to physically and mentally revert to a time when art soothed the fresh wounds of my traumas and provided a method of escape from life’s realities.
5. Do you have anything coming up that you would like to share?
If this hasn’t been published yet, I will be exhibiting at Art Santa Fe, a collector art fair presented by Redwood Art Group. July 14-16 in Santa Fe, NM. In September, my husband and I are moving across the country to Maryland. I’m moving my entire studio and practicing there, which is both daunting and exciting! I’ll be looking for opportunities and inspiration within the rich and diverse cultures of the Baltimore and DC areas. Washington DC is my favorite American city, and it’s a privilege to be able to return and explore it further. In addition, I will be a part of some other artist features to be published soon, so be on the lookout! Lastly, I have just started a free monthly newsletter where I share my process, inspirations, and relatable tidbits, along with updates on shows, works in progress, and new/available work. Anyone can subscribe by providing their email on my website or contacting me ([email protected]).
Read more about Michele Thompson on her Website and Instagram.
