About
Elaine Thompson works in drawing, print and collage and is inspired by her local environment, conservation, wildlife and the cyclical nature of time.
Elaine explores movement through the physical process of gestural mark-making with charcoal, conte and oil pastel. The surface of the paper can become cracked and worn through the process of drawing, collaging and erasing.
She particularly enjoys the technique of monoprinting, working on Japanese paper to make one-off hand-pressed prints, which are formed through a process of rolling, stencilling, adding and wiping away ink. The layering of transparent colours combined with printed plant material gives the imagery a disappearing quality which equates with the notion of memory or wildlife camouflaged in its environment.
Elaine Thompson studied Drawing and Painting at Edinburgh College of Art and gained an MA from Winchester School of Art. She has exhibited her work in UK and Europe and is the recipient of various awards.
Elaine carries out creative print workshops for children and adults in local schools and organisations.
SOLO SHOWS AND SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS:
2021 South East Open Studios
2020 Open Studio (Virtual Event)
2019 Printfest7 Sept 2019 - Group Show Algarden Gallery, Boras, Sweden
Bursary recipient from Swedish Art Associations.
2018 Lustre 2018 - selected show, OBS Gallery, Tonbridge School, Tonbridge, Kent
2018 School Gambia Exhibition, Yalding, Kent
2018 Solo Show Tyland Barn Gallery, Kent Wildlife Trust, Sandling, Maidstone, Kent
2018 Artspring Gallery, Tonbridge, Kent - Spring and Summer group shows from Feb - July
2014 – 2018 South East Open Studios
2017 Solo show ‘Mapping Wildlife’ Tyland Barn Gallery, Maidstone, Kent
2016 Solo show. Kent Wildlife Trust Visitor Centre, Tyland Barn, Maidstone, Kent. One man show.
2015 Cranbrook Art Show, Vestry Hall, Cranbrook, Kent
2015 Lustre 2015 - selected show, Tonbridge School, Tonbridge, Kent
2006 Elephant Proof. Group Print Show. Mall Galleries, London
2006 Body of Work. Art Competition - The Naughton Gallery at Queen’s University, Belfast.
2005 Medical Edge. Selected group show. Euroart Studios, London
2005 Battersea Contemporary Arts Fair, Battersea Town Hall.
1997 Crossing the Water. Joint Exhibition, The Old Museum Arts Centre, Belfast, N.Ireland
1997 Invited Artist. 12th Ulappa Art Symposium, Turku, Finland. International Symposium organised by Turku Artists Association.
1997 Belfast New Contemporaries. Selected group show. Oxford Street Gallery, Belfast.
1996 Iontas National Smallworks Exhibition. Toured to Sligo, Dublin, Derry and Cork. Fluxaura. A group show of environmental art along the Banks of the River Aura, Turku, Finland. X-Ray Drawings. The Factory, Hill Street, Belfast.
1994 Works on Paper. The Gallery. Arts Council, Belfast
1994 Free for All. Group Exhibition. Catalyst Arts, Belfast.
1994 Finely Divided, Loosely Coherent. A collaboration. Crescent Arts Centre Belfast.
1993 Progress and Diversity. A group show, The British Council, Barcelona, Spain
1992 New Generation Artists. The Compass Gallery, Glasgow.
1991 Royal Ulster Academy Exhibition, Department of Architecture Building, Queens University Belfast.
AWARDS
1997 Arts Council Northern Ireland Award (Artflight) to Madrid.
1996 Arts Council Northern Ireland Project Grant Award.
1995 Second Prize. Monaghan Open Exhibition. Monaghan, County Museum, Ireland
1991 Ulster Television Award. Royal Ulster Academy Annual Exhibition. Queens University, Belfast.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
2007 Teaching, Learning and Communicating through Contemporary Art practices. (Schools/Tate Modern/Goldsmiths College Partnership). A research project. CD Rom.
1998 Arts Council Directory for Young Artists in Schools.
Arts Council of Northern Ireland.
1997 ‘Crossing the Water’. Review in the Irish Times. 9/08/97
1997 Ian Hill (Irish Times) for Radio Ulster. 13/09/97
1994 ‘Beyond the Partitions’. Queen Street Studios, Belfast. 10th Anniversary Catalogue and Works on Paper Catalogue.
1994 Circa. 1994 Autumn Issue.
TEACHING:
2001-2015 Art Teacher Langley Park School for Girls, Beckenham, Kent
1999-2001 3D Construction Tutor (part-time), Hackney Community College
EDUCATION
1998-1999 Goldsmiths College, University of London.
1992-1993 MA European Fine Art
Winchester School of Art. Barcelona/Winchester.
1988-1992 BA Hons Drawing and Painting
Edinburgh College of Art. Edinburgh, Scotland.
MEMBERSHIPS
2018 Artspring Gallery. Tonbridge Artists Collective.
2012 -2015 SLNAT -South London Network of Artist/Teachers