Biography
Shirley Thompson, was born in Bralorne, a little mining town in the interior of B.C. Shirley has been a professional musician for over 25 years, playing all kinds of music including jazz, R & B funk and Rock. Her favorite instrument is bass, but also plays sax, trumpet organ and piano. She has always had an interest in art, even at an early age in school, but it is only the last decade that she started to pursue it seriously. She says, "It was as if a passion within her awoke and she was driven to paint at all times of the night and day." In her own words, "it is creative process itself that pushes her to continually explore new approaches. It is the first initial execution that excites her and she lets the energy and passion flow to create the painting. It is the journey that she enjoys, never the end result that drives her." Shirley's work is always full of energy and passion with dramatic colours and bold compositions. It is always exciting to see what wonderful new paintings she will bring into the gallery. Shirley has taken painting workshops from Mike Svob, Janice Robertson and Alan Wylie, all members of the FCA. Shirley is also a member of the FCA.
SHIRLEY THOMPSON SHIRLEY THOMPSON is one of the most exciting artists to emerge onto the Vancouver art scene in recent years. Two years ago, she was mainly known for her talent as a hair stylist and a musician. That was before she casually mentioned to Rendezvous Art Gallery, that she paints. One look at her work made it very clear to those in the business, that this woman had something special to offer the art world. Since then, there has been a constant and growing interest in her work. Thompson has been a professional musician for over 25 years, playing all kinds of music including jazz, R & B, funk and rock. Shirley has played almost every instrument there is, including sax, trumpet, organ and piano, but her favourite is the bass cello. She was born in Bralorne, a small mining town in the BC interior. She has always had an interest in art, even at an early age in school, but it is only in the last decade that she started to pursue it seriously. Thompson says, “It was as if a passion within me awoke and I was driven to paint at all times of the night and day.” She says, “It is the creative process itself that pushes me to continually explore new approaches. It is the first execution that excites me and I let the energy and passion flow to create the painting. It is the journey, never the end result, that drives me.” Thompson is somewhat of an enigma when it comes to painting. There is a lot of diversity in her work, and yet at a first glance, it is so obviously hers. She has developed a distinct style, full of colour and passion and yet at the same time there is a strong sense of serenity. Her work is never predictable. Her paintings have the power to stop you in your tracks. The texture is tantalizing, the colours 'zing', the harmony is pure poetry and her compositions are creativity at its best. Although Thompson has only been painting for over ten years, she definitely has a master's touch. Her work is decisive, bold and confident. This is an artist to watch, for as exciting as her work is, it just keeps getting better and better.