Meet the Artist- Kate Thompson

She received a degree in Fiber Arts at Calif. State University, Long Beach in 1990.
After college, Kate worked as textile print designer in the Apparel Business for 20 years. The hours she was away from her day job, she continued to create art. As a fiber artist, she worked with fabric and fiber to create abstract and figurative 3-dimensional forms.
In 2009 after moving from Los Angeles to Charlotte, she started painting full time focusing on portrait/figurative work painting in acrylics, watercolors, oils. She is a mixed media artist.
She teaches online classes, as well as teaching in person retreats throughout the US and overseas. Her favorite place of all to teach was in Morocco!

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What does Art is Magic mean to me?

I love to gather with other instructors online to be a part of a beautiful art retreat. It’s great for students to have the opportunity to work with a variety of teachers and their own unique way of creating. I enjoy seeing what other instructors are doing. I don’t have time to take any online classes and this gives me an opportunity to check out what my colleagues are up to.
Art is Magic feels like an online retreat with all the various activities involved and the interaction with others in this lovely community. There are prizes and giveaways, free technique videos to build up to a time together online that will be most memorable.

Why Do I Create Art?


I really don’t have a choice. I never took art classes in high school. When I was 18, I decided to become an artist. I was not good for several years, so the drive and determination within me carried on. The desire was so great. It still is. I continue to learn. It is the one part of my life I never tire from; never get bored. My attention span is fleeting, but creating art makes me laser focused.

My Journey to Claim the Title Artist

My first experience with art was at the age of 18. I was accepted into the Art Institute of Pittsburgh. I have no idea how I got in because my portfolio was not impressive. I had to work really hard to keep up. I was not born an artist; I was born to be determined to be an artist.
I would say in my 30’s when I claimed myself the title Artist. It took many years of practice to find my identity as an artist. I finally developed a style that people could identify was me. That was very exciting. I had a message. It took me years to draw and paint well; to get better at it as a craft. I still find it important to know how to draw and paint, but now I am more focused on why I draw and paint.