Exclusive Interview with Mixed Media Artist RoByn Thompson! I’m RoByn Thompson. I’m a mixed media artist from Paterson NJ. I’ve always wanted to be an artist. Recently, I found a crayon drawing I did in 3rd grade about what I wanted to be when I grew up. I’m standing in the outfield, wearing a Mets uniform in front of an easel. I’m painting with the brush in my right hand and singing into the microphone in my left. The Mets still haven’t called, but I’m making my art and still singing loudly and off-key. What kind of art or performing do you do? My current series involves a couple of my passions. For this series, I body paint a model, photograph the model then manipulate the actual code of the digital image to create random effects. I also draw and paint. How long have you been doing this? I’ve been an artist for about 20 years, a body painter for about a decade and a photographer for five.
Where did your inspiration come from? My inspiration comes from the world around me. I notice little things like the patterns shadows form or the way colors play with each other. Do you remember the moment you fell in love with it? If so can you describe it? I tend to fall in love with the different mediums for different reasons. I used to work in clay. With clay, it was the feel of the clay and the rich smell. With body painting, I’m transfixed by the transformation.
What drew you to this particular field/talent? Prior to face and body painting, I never really enjoyed painting. The face painting really loosened me up and enabled me to be much freer. I think this was because of the inherently temporary and fleeting nature of the art form. Tell us about your current projects or activities. I’m very excited about my new series, Interference Plaid. I’ve been working on it for 2 months. I randomly manipulate the digital code of photographs of models that I’ve painted. The resultant images are very colorful and futuristic. Which of your projects are you most proud of and why? It’s always the current one. New toys are always the shiniest. Which of your projects do believe defines you as an artist the most? I don’t know that any one project defines me. I think it’s the entire body of work, how I live my life and how I see the world that defines me as an artist. What sets you apart from other artists in your field? I think we all try to do things we haven’t seen before but would like to see. What is one of your most memorable moments/experiences in your field? I think the best thing is when my models tell me that they don’t recognize themselves. What advice would you give yourself if you could go back in time to when you first started? Make art for yourself. Don’t worry about your audience. If you share your vision with an authentic voice, you will be heard. If you could be doing anything in your artistic/performing career right now, what would you be doing? I’m very thankful because I’m doing what I want to be doing. How can people contact you or follow your progress? www.robynthompsonart.com http://www.facebook.com/RoBynThompsonArt
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