Kimberly Thompson
Houston, Texas
BA, University of Houston
Glassell School of Art, Fine Art courses
University of Houston, Fine Art courses
Houston Community College, Fine Art courses
Exhibitions include Lawndale Art Center, Glassell School of Art, UH and HCC Art Shows.
Commission, UH College of Optometry - bronze and wood Ceremonial Mace
Sold several bronze pieces to private collectors
ARTIST’S STATEMENT
I have always been fascinated with art and nature. As a child, I would walk around the neighborhood, fields and bayous, collecting neat stuff that others tossed away or that nature left behind; to me they were gifts. This connection with the earth has nurtured in me a strong love of metal sculpting. Being able to take a rod, plate, or ingot of metal and create a form is enchanting to me. The sparks and molten metal are gorgeous; it feels primitive (and is) and the entire process arduous. I like that it is not easy, that you must stay committed to a piece and in the end feel as though you’ve given birth to it. As for my compositions, I try to transform images that bombard my mind. Some haunt, others enchant. The resulting compositions often involve anatomical and organic structures. Some show pain, struggle and grief – others humor. In my creations I have come to realize that I must not only acknowledge the life force that surrounds and involves us all, but also honor it.
ARTIST’S BIO
Kim Thompson is a varied artist, whose current focus is on metal sculpting.
As a child, Kim would walk around the neighborhood, fields, bayou, etc., as an explorer, an archeologist, and collect neat stuff that others tossed away or nature left behind. She created elaborate displays in her room with dried insects, plants, fungus, rocks, feathers, metal, glass, etc. She had Baggies with her loot for the day and would write the date and pin them to the wall. Kim’s mother was very creative and nurtured an appreciation of art. She & Kim would make paintings out of shoe polish, tempera paint, colored pencils and watercolors. They also made Lucite sculptures out of what they found, thinking a Texas cock roach paperweight was such a great gift. Unfortunately, out of fear that she could not support herself, Kim’s parents strongly discouraged her pursing art as a career. Also a factor was Kim’s scoliosis. Having a steel rod implanted along her spine promised a life where adequate medical insurance would be a must. Kim obtained a BA in Communications and began work in television for 8 long years, all the while wanting to do something more creative. She began taking computer graphics classes and picked up side jobs in graphics, photography, and videography, until she found full time employment at UH as Manager of Audio Visual Services for the College of Optometry. Having secured a wonderful job allowing for creativity, Kim could now expand her thirst for creative outlet. In Kim’s own words: “I am an emerging artist, compelled to create and share. I am in love with sculpture, mixed media, and metal work. As for my compositions, I try to transform images that bombard my mind. Some haunt, others enchant. The resulting compositions often involve anatomical and organic structures, and considering the creative metalwork submerged in my own body, this creativity allows me a balance and serenity within my own life previously unknown.”