Art is one of the main forces that unites people. Jimmy Thompson, an artist based in Los Angeles, shared with us where he gets his biggest inspirations and what drives him every day.
“As long as I can remember I’ve loved turning a blank paper into something new – and love the challenges that come with discovering what works and what doesn’t through experimentation and process. The payoff is really enjoyable despite inevitable frustrations along the way.”
Jimmy Thompson loves using Instagram as a “visual diary” to share his older and recent works and compare his art as time goes by. One of his most sacred dreams is to create an international exhibition where he can get to the heart of more people with his astonishing art. His first exhibition, however, was far from ordinary: “I started selling in galleries in 2005. The first show was at a barbershop!”
Although Jimmy makes money with his work, he enjoys the feedback from people most and uses it with his emotions to develop new creations.
Among the artists who have inspired him are David Hockney, Louis Bourgeis and Picasso. One work of art, however, was particularly appealing to him: “’Bedroom in Arles’ by Vincent van Gogh at the Musée D’Orsay. It is one of those ubiquitous pictures you see in books all the time when you grow up. There was something that was really satisfying to see in person. I was lucky enough to visit Arles and the actual bedroom. It is somehow emotional to look at it when you know your life, your state of mind and the reason for your presence. Moreover, I like to lose myself in all his strokes, the playful design and the convincing colour palette. You can really imagine how he thinks as he applies all the strokes and markings. I can’t speak for him, but for me it looks very meditative.”
One of Jimmy’s most important messages is to feel art as a part of yourself and never stop experimenting, no matter if it is with musicians or other artists: We just have to let our heart follow the flow of art and create.
More of Jimmy Thompson’s art can be found on Instagram.
