Contributed
The fruit doesn’t fall far from the tree.
Mother and daughter artist team, Heidi and Carmen Thompson, present an exhibition of paintings entitled Abstract Colour at Nadine’s Fine Art and Frames, with an opening reception Saturday from 7 to 9 p.m.
After graduating from Vernon secondary school in 1974, Heidi moved to Europe and studied art and photography. In 1980, she returned home and worked as a photographer and painter.
Heidi’s art is inspired by the painterly impressionists and the abstract expressionists. She exhibits her work in Switzerland, Canada and the U.S. Her paintings are also displayed at Spinner’s Sound Centre, Headbones Gallery and Arte Funktionale in Kelowna.
“Although, I do not paint recognizable scenes, I am inspired by nature’s colours, patterns, light and space,” Heidi said of her process. “My goal is to create energy fields that evoke aesthetic feelings of peacefulness, mystery and joy.”
Carmen is a recent graduate of the Nova Scotia School of Art and Design, where she earned a bachelor’s of fine arts.
“I began my career in jewelry design at the Vancouver Community College, but soon realized that I could not express myself in the way I needed to,” Carmen said. “I turned to painting for a more liberating form of expression.”
Much of Carmen’s childhood was spent in her mother’s art studio and her father’s guitar making shop.
“Growing up in an artistic family influenced my decision to become an artist,” Carmen said. “At first, I tried to fight my urge to become an artist as I saw first-hand what a long road it could be. But eventually I had to give in.”
Carmen works as the artist in residency coordinator at the Caetani Cultural Centre.
“It’s ironic that my mother was Sveva Caetani’s friend, photographer and publisher, and now I’m working in Sveva’s house helping to keep her vision alive,” Carmen said. “I can still remember my mom working on publishing Recapitulation, a book featuring Sveva’s life and art.”
Heidi and Carmen both support Vernon’s art community and donate their paintings to the Midsummer’s Eve of the Arts and the A Splash of Red annual fundraising auctions.
As well, Heidi and Carmen are offering a painting workshop at Nadine’s Fine Art and Frames Sept. 23 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Participants will learn new acrylic techniques and gain insight into seeing “abstraction in nature.”
To register for the workshop, call Nadine at 250-542-8544 or Heidi at 250-542-1551.