Jada Thompson

Thesis Paintings 2007

admin — Wed, 16 May 2012 16:37:26 +0000

A selection of paintings from my thesis show. I wrote a terrifically long paper to go with these – in which I stated, “Much like the non-nutritive sweetener, my images start off cloying and palatable, and finish with an unnatural aftertaste that remains in the memory, if not the senses.”

Just Desserts - Thesis Painting 2007

Oil on board, 12"x14"

Just Desserts - Thesis Painting 2007

Oil on board, 12"x14"

Just Desserts - Thesis Painting 2007

Oil on board, 12"x14"

Just Desserts - Thesis Painting 2007

Oil on board, 12"x14"

Just Desserts - Thesis Painting 2007

Oil on board, 12"x14"

Just Desserts - Thesis Painting 2007

Oil on board, 12"x14"

Just Desserts - Thesis Painting 2007

Oil on board, 12"x14"

Just Desserts - Thesis Painting 2007

Oil on board, 12"x14"

Just Desserts - Thesis Painting 2007

Oil on board, 12"x14"

Just Desserts - Thesis Painting 2007

Oil on board, 12"x14"

Just Desserts - Thesis Painting 2007

Oil on board, 12"x14"

Just Desserts - Thesis Painting 2007

Oil on board, 12"x14"

Just Desserts - Thesis Painting 2007

Oil on board, 12"x14"

Just Desserts - Thesis Painting 2007

Oil on board, 12"x14"

Just Desserts - Thesis Painting 2007

Oil on board, 12"x14"

Just Desserts - Thesis Painting 2007

Oil on board, 12"x14"

Just Desserts - Thesis Painting 2007

Oil on board, 12"x14"

Just Desserts - Thesis Painting 2007

Oil on board, 12"x14"

Student Work in the style of Van Gogh

admin — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 19:42:29 +0000

For a project in my painting class at Mid-South Community College, I introduced students to the works post-impressionist painter Vincent Van Gogh. Van Gogh painted several portraits and self-portraits that made use of complementary colors schemes to heighten emotional expression. Among many influences, Van Gogh was particularly interested in the Japanese prints of Hokusai. This influence can be seen in the bold, graphic outlines and flat areas of color he employed.

This project allowed students to explore arbitrary, emotive color use and bold, impasto brushwork. They were able to break away from preconceived notions that “good” painting requires realism and perfection.

Jennifer with Self Portrait

Jennifer was a little skeptical about using greens and blues to complement the orange and honey tones of flesh, but she overcame that as the process continued.

Portrait of Ben in the Style of Van Gogh

This was a sample I created for the class. Showcasing use of arbitrary and complementary colors to evoke emotion rather than realistic, local color. As he wrote once to his brother Theo, Van Gogh wanted “In both figure and landscape [...] to get to the point where people [said of his] work: that man feels deeply, that man feels keenly.”

In the Studio

The set-up in the studio.

Jennifer in the Style of Van Gogh

Artist: Jennifer Wallace, 16"x20", oil and acrylic on canvas

Carolynn in the Style of Van Gogh

Artist: Carolynn Robb, 16"x20", oil and acrylic on canvas

Carolynn was used to applying local color in a patient process of glazes. The technique that Van Gogh uses calls for more immediacy, as the artist was said to have finished as many as a painting per day at one point.

Christen in the Style of Van Gogh

Artist: Christen Dorrough, 16"x20", oil and acrylic on canvas

Gary in the Style of Van Gogh

Artist: Gary Barton, 16"x20", oil and acrylic on canvas

Erica in the Style of Van Gogh

Artist: Erica Archer, 16"x20", oil and acrylic on canvas

Instagrams

admin — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 18:31:13 +0000

Super-sized Student Paintings

admin — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 16:47:20 +0000

The Super-sized project is an opportunity for students to study the intricate detail of a small object (the assignment calls for something that fits almost completely in one hand). The goal is to teach one to really see an object, rather than painting what one expects a thing to look like. Essentially, these were portraits of inanimate objects that we have become so familiar with we take them for granted.

I asked the students to bring in three prospective objects and then helped them choose their subjects based on difficulty, originality and personality. My belief is that at such an early stage in a painting education one cannot invest in a subject for the act of painting alone; one must be invested in the object and outcome based on personal attachment. This is a good way to teach not just technique, but the nuances of concept to beginning artists.

Fourth Cup

16"x16" oil on board

By Jada Thompson (instructor)

Glasses

20"x16" oil on illustration board

By Jennifer Wallace

Ring

20"x16" oil on illustration board

By Erica Archer

Shady

20"x16" oil on illustration board

By Christen Dorrough

Shell

20"x16" oil on illustration board

By Carolynn Robb

Watch

20"x16" oil on illustration board

Painting by Gary Barton.

Food

admin — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 12:49:49 +0000

Sketches

admin — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 21:41:07 +0000

Drawings in the studio

Handout

Friggin' Summer

Some Guy

Tome of Spiral Thought

Hair Sketch

Bro Sketch

Self Portrait Sketch