What does mixed-media art mean to you?
Mixed Media. ahhh just to say it makes me smile. It means freedom to express and create and be without boundaries or limits or rules. It opens the world of art in new ways and nothing is off limits in terms of tools, supplies, inclusions or supports. It’s an intuitive artist’s dream. It’s recess every single day in my studio! There’s laughter and giggles and uproarious fun every time we sit down to play. THAT is what Mixed Media is to me.
How long have you been a mixed-media artist?
My knee jerk answer is alllll my life. I was the kid that painted with a blades of grass embedded in there to see what would happen and the one that would sneak into the chicken yard for eggs to rub with flowers because they left colors behind on the shells. Nature shared her colors with me and everything was my canvas.
The answer most are looking for is… I played with art here and there over the years but I’ve been a “serious” (stop laughing.. I can be serious) artist for only a couple of years. BUT know that it’s the lifetime of experience, of pain and joy and playing in the mud and scrubbing flowers and berries on egg shells that made me the artist I am today.
How has your art impacted or enhanced your life?
It’s the expression of the inner me. How can that being out there not affect me? It gives me a feeling of quietness when I am able to get the images and sounds out of my head and into the paint. Art is not only about the finished work and enjoying it…It’s about the connections made because of the work. I know incredible people that I would never have met otherwise. (You guys KNOW who you are!) Is there fear of acceptance? You bet cha! I think everyone will admit to that but growing together with the people I’ve met along the way is so worth those moments of doubt and fear.
What are a few of the mixed-media supplies you find yourself using most?
Acrylic paint, acrylic ink, Neocolor IIs, watercolor, collage fodder, sticks (or brush handles) Inktense pencils, masking tape, glazing medium and gel medium by the bucket load. LOL oh yes.. lots of gel and matte medium.. oh oh oh oh and iridescent medium! Yummo! If the big one hit tomorrow those would have to be in my survival kit.
Who are some of your favorite mixed-media artists?
In no particular order:
What makes your mixed-media art unique?
We are all unique and beautiful creatures. I am no exception. My art comes from a place inside me. It’s sometimes sparked by a color or a phrase that gives me a vision. *sheepish grin* Sometimes it’s even a left over receipt that sets me to creating! Who knows where it will begin, but each piece is something unlike any other.
Where can we find you?
You can find me at my studio most days… in Jacksonville Beach. It’s open to any who are in the area and want to visit with me. Just shoot me a note! Online, you can find me at these links:
About Tee Thompson: Visual artist and eclectic chick! I’m a visual artist, wife, mother, friend and taster of the joys of living in Jacksonville Beach, Florida.
I grew up dipping my fingers into anything that would leave a mark on paper. Art moved me and making it was an imperative. Now a few years later, I’m returning to art and finding myself in drips, dots and swirls of paint I leave behind.
My art is an expression of the child inside that just needs to dip her fingers in and leave a mark. My goal is to share that joy with others and live in the moments we create together.
Very inspiring, beautiful colour and textures. I can read a lot of emotion in this work. Thank you!
Thank you Linda. I love what I do and pour all of me into it.
Love this interview
Makes me want to run outside, pick flowers and play in the mud with sticks 
XXX
*grabs some sticks to play with Gina*
Tee, you said it so well! Your personality and love of creativity shines through. You’re one of my inspirations to push through the fear.
Hugs Jill. You are one of my favorite people. That I help you with anything is a blessing!