Rachael Thompton

By Ken Hall

Rachael Thompson has been working in ink pen and watercolors in her native England for many of her thirty years, but it wasn't until this past September that she introduced Americans to her art, at the Decor Expo show in Atlanta.

"It was one of the hardest and best things I'd ever done," Thompson said from her home in Derbyshire, England. "I gained much insight into the American art market and made many valuable contacts and friends. I found that Americans are very open in their appreciation of art and are willing to accept new ideas and new artists."

Thompson hopes this acceptance of new artists will spell good fortune for her when she returns to the States this month for a swing through Florida. She'll be exhibiting at Fast Frame in Tampa Feb. 6-8 and Key West Art & Design beginning Feb. 19. She also plans on doing several demonstrations. A return trip to Florida for more exhibitions is planned for April.

Thompson uses the ink pen and watercolor to create two divergent styles. "First, I use the ink pen to construct images using dots," she said, adding this works especially well with animal and botanical illustrations. "It allows me to build up detail," she pointed out.

Washes of watercolor are added if color is required. "I use watercolor to create the sky and star signs," she said. Star signs are a staple of Thompson's work; they're basically paintings of the night sky and outer space, often embellished with lightning, stars and constellations.

"I include the twelve zodiac birth signs in these works," Thompson said. "People commission their own star signs or purchase them for other people. They make unique and original gifts. I also do a triple star sign, within one frame. It's very popular with families and couples."

Thompson finds that watercolors are the perfect medium for achieving the soft effect that in turn evokes the proper mood. "With watercolors, I can create effective but unusual paintings," she said. The subjects that appeal most to her are animals -- particularly cats -- and the stars and sky, which inspired the star signs.

Thompson spent much time pondering animals and the sky while growing up in Derbyshire, England. She enjoyed an idyllic childhood, growing up on a farm in the picturesque countryside of the Derbyshire Dales.

"I was always surrounded by beauty and animals," she said. There were dogs, cats and sheep everywhere. "I had a pot-bellied pig named Wilbur and a goat named Annabel. When I wasn't riding my horse I was drawing. In the summer, we would camp out, lie in the long grass and stargaze."

Young Rachael found that she was very good at drawing animals and flowers, and her parents encouraged her to pursue her art (but as a hobby, not a career). In college, she studied toward a fine art restoration and conservation degree, which she earned in 1996.

"One of my teachers, Nigel Leaney, taught me a great deal about how to understand art and the history of art," Thompson said. "He also taught me about color, shape and texture, about all the different facets and techniques that go together to make up the world of art."

She also learned that she didn't have to conform to someone else's ideas of what art should be. This freedom allowed her to develop her own style. "I experimented with many different mediums in the beginning," she said, "but I always found myself returning to ink pen and watercolor. They're just perfect for my style of work."

Thompson said her ink pen work was strongly influenced by the artist Seurat. She also admires the Impressionists -- Monet, Manet and Degas. "I love how they rebelled against tradition and tried to create atmosphere, life and mood. I try to capture these qualities in my star paintings."

After graduating from college, Thompson went to work at Allerton Castle in North Yorkshire. There, she restored paintings, painted and decorated ceilings, and gilded and decorated objects and furniture. Then she took a similar position at Chatsworth House, the stately Derbyshire home of the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire. All the while, she continued to draw in her spare time.

In 1998, Thompson's daughter Bethan was born. She gave up restoration work to look after her daughter and took a part-time job working at the family hotel. She got such positive feedback from the art she was creating that, in November 2002, she took the plunge and became a professional artist.
"It was very liberating," she said. "It meant I was doing something I loved, plus I was still able to look after my daughter, since I could work from home." She exhibited at local galleries and entered a number of competitions, both locally and internationally.

"Having your work criticized and rejected is one of the hardest things to come to terms with as an artist," Thompson said. "Each piece is a part of you and you're proud of it. You have to learn to accept criticism and not take it personally. Not everyone is going to like what you do."

She added, "I try never to dismiss another artist's work. I know how much effort goes into each of my own pieces." Thompson said she finds new ideas for paintings everywhere she looks -- "from watching the antics of my own cats to just looking up into the night sky and watching the changing moods, colors and shapes. I try to put all these feelings into my work. I love beauty and I try to create beautiful pictures."

Original works by Rachael Thompson generally sell for between $100 and $1,000. To inquire about purchasing her art, or to contact her directly, you may e-mail her at dreaminthestars@aol.com or visit her online (site under construction as of this writing) at www.dreaminthestars.com. Publisher inquiries are welcome as well. Ms. Thompson's international phone number is (011)-44-77-4010-4380.