7th Annual Gather The Women Conference!

Celebrating 100 Years of International Women's Day

Gather at 8:30 at the UU Church on Lemon and Mission Inn Ave. Downtown Riverside

Keynote Speaker: Rowan Storm

I am offering a workshop called: 100hearts Heart Centered Art Path to Creativity

And I will be selling Original Art/Prints/Posters/Jewelry/Books and more!

Workshops on Creativity, spirituality, activism and more.

Women's Marketplace Library Plaza 9-5 Open to the Public

Evening Concert Riverside Women's Club 7pm $10 with Conf. Reg.

Adults $35/Senior/Student $25

Register online at womencreatingpeace.org

New Riverside Studio and Free Introductory Art Classes!

I am so pleased to announce that I am opening a new studio in Downtown Riverside at the Life Arts Center on University and Lemon Streets. In Studio 36 I will be able to expand my art class offerings, be part of the monthly Riverside Art Walk, and have space to display and sell my work!

I will be making a special offer this month, March: a series of FREE ART CLASSES to allow students to explore and experience my fun and personalized approach to teaching art and decide which ongoing class might be perfect for you!

They will be 1 hour each session. No prior experience is needed. All materials are supplied.

All skill levels are welcome!

10-11 am or 11- 12 noon

Saturday, March 12

and

Saturday, March, 19, 2011

Contact me to register and Save Your Spot: jothompsonart@gmail.com

This offer is for adult students and I will be making a similar offer for childrens in April with dates and times to be announced.

New Gallery!

I am very excited about being part of the Incredible Artist gallery family here in the desert.
My work will be in the gallery and I am also teaching several workshops.

Visit the website to see art, register for workshops, and buy art from the online store...with free shipping!

Passionate Pastels
9/23, 9/24 5:30-9:00 PM and 9/25 10:00-1:30 PM

Mystical Mandalas
10/5, 10/12, 10/19 5:30-9:00 PM

For descriptions, class supply list, and to register visit the website:
http://incredibleartist.com/

New Website

Visit my new website: http://jo-thompson.artistwebsites.com
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Return to California

This summer marks my return to Southern California! Leaving Bisbee after six years means I will surely miss all my friends there. I have moved back to the desert area of Palm Springs, where I lived for many years prior to my time in Riverside and San Diego.

I am looking forward to pursuing my art work again. I also plan to offer art classes and workshops in various locations.

This is the view from my new home!

Summer Arts Workshops for Children

The Bisbee Public Library was the setting for three fun art workshops. Kids from 2 to 17 came by and everybody had a great time. One session was on Creating a Summer Sketchbook. The students got to create their own book out of construction paper and copy paper and decorate the cover.

We talked about how artists use a sketchbook to do many things: catch a quick gesture, keep track of ideas, do longer drawings, as a journal. and since everybody is an artist they could use their Summer Sketchbooks in the same way.

One session involved Drama! The kids brainstormed a script about animals in the forest, chose their parts, then made costumes out of construction paper, tape and staples. The Library table served as our stage and they drew a background on sheets. The dialogue consisted of howls, grunts, whoops and tweets. It was a very noisy night in the forest by Act III.

Students in Creativity Workshop

Students at one of the Creativity Workhops enjoying the 100hearts exercises designed to stimulate thinking, action, and making artistic choices based on the simple shape of a heart.

Pueblo Paintings

Taos Walls Acrylic on Canvas 48" x 48"

Acoma Drum Acrylic on Canvas 48" x 48"

More Hearts

These are more from the 100 Hearts series.

100 Hearts-Compass and SunMoon

Compass and SunMoon are colored pencil drawings on black paper. Divisions, opposites, centering, sacred directions are all words associated with these images.

100 Hearts

In February of 2000, I mounted an exhibition of a series titled "100 Hearts." It was the result of a great deal of thought and research, and art making over a period of over a year. I also turned what I had learned from the process into a workbook, workshops and more. I am now in the process of reviewing that work and continuing it.

It seems I am not finished with the subject, amazingly!

I will here begin to post some of the images and my thoughts about them. With the exception of a few peices which I retained for my collection they are all SOLD in private collections now.

Soaring is a drawing done in oils on illustration board and was a signature image I used to symbolize the energy and positivism of the whole project.

Dog Days-Acrylics on Canvas

Since moving to Bisbee in 2004 I painted a series of dog paintings, all acrylic on canvas. They were lots of fun.

Homecoming Series-Colored Pencil Drawings

Small colored pencil drawings which were part of the Homecoming Series.

Homecoming Series-Acrylics on Canvas

The Welcoming Porch is 40" x 28" and is painted around the edges and ready to hang.

These are two acrylic on canvas paintings from the series I did on various scenes of Home.

Sold

Southwest-Mixed Media

These images are part of a series of pastel, oil pastel and other media on 100% rag paper. They included a contemporary border based on Southwestern designs surrounding images of pueblo life.

Landscape-Pastels

These landscapes are pastels on 22" x 30" 100% rag archivally pure paper. They are images of the California Coast, New Mexican chamisa and a Pueblo.

Papermaking and Book Arts Workshops

A two day papermaking and book arts extravanganza was held at Bright Day Fine Art my gallery and working studio in Old Bisbee.

Students had a great time recycling rag paper scraps and using a blender to turn them into pulp which could then be poured onto screens, forming sheets. The sheets could be decorated with leaves, petals, gold leaf, lace and more.

The second day, students included their own handmade paper in creating small, hand bound books complete with ties, beads, seashells and other unique additions.