Jada Thompson

Here is another painting with oil color glazed over drawing. During this time in 2006 I was applying the paint and wiping a lot of it away with cotton swabs. It was very tedious work – but the glow of the white-primed panel did more for the image than the paint. This was a huge difference from the very heavy impasto look of previous work.

Monochromatic glazes of quinacridone red & van dyke brown float over a graphite drawing. The white of the image is the white of the primed panel glowing through. Title comes from the poem The Charge of the Light Brigade by Tennyson, “Ours is not to reason why. Ours is but to do and die”. I really enjoyed the way that some of the truncated visual expressions of the equipment seem organic, even visceral (esp. the cord on the left) – the overall effect is dreamlike and stifling – as if we are present in the tank/room with the soldiers.

This painting consists of thin glazes of monochromatic color suspended in medium, layered over pencil drawing. The content references various obscure pop culture references -as does the title. The tension of the hare with it’s giant collar starkly contrasts with the wild exuberance of the woman on the phone, creating a disconnected image.  I often wonder whether the hare is receiving her calls – or if she is in some way complicit in his captivity.

Another of the paintings from the period in 2006  when I discarded color in an attempt to refine my technique. Thin glazes of monochromatic color suspended in galkyd lite, revealing the pencil drawing underneath; an attempt to reconcile drawing and painting. Oil on masonite.

Bobbing II. 2005

This is a painting that I made during grad school. I was trying to focus on technique rather than emotion or color. I began attempting to reconcile drawing and painting. I threw out color. I chose imagery that was evocative of suffering, but originated in celebration.