CANVASES WITH

CANVASES with Candace: Life, Art and Impact …

Art isn’t something you do, it’s who you are. Artist, author and speaker Candace Thompson believes, “You are an artist, and your life is a masterpiece.” Thompson started her company, Canvases with Candace (CWC), in November 2017, with the hope and idea to bring “soul therapy” to the masses. She hosts and teaches mobile paint experiences where you are able to unlock the artist within. “So many people are afraid of art, thinking they have to be perfect. In actuality, there is no such thing as perfect or imperfect art because it’s all subjective,” says Thompson. “These are lessons in self-love and self-care.”

Thompson uses her platform of art to impact people positively—showing them that relaxation and rejuvenation can be found in creating art. Parties are hosted in venues of choice to cultivate comfort and peace during the creation process. When Thompson started CWC, she was battling through a very dark place in her life. Art made a big difference in her recovery, and since it was able to help her come out of that place, Thompson felt that it could help by Odell Williams

others too. Each event is private and curated to allow the new artists the best and most welcoming environment to explore their artistry. With almost 500 people served over nearly three years, she has never painted the same picture twice. “I want to help people unlock the artist within; I use life lessons along with painting techniques to fill the two hours of each event. I don’t like to stencil the picture first because I believe with the right instruction anyone can create anything.”

Thompson is also a muralist. Her work can be found in various businesses in and around Columbia, such as Converspace, in the Village at Sandhill shopping center, in Columbia; CoCreate, in Lexington; and Mota Enterprises LLC, in West Columbia. Adds Thompson: “I like to be where people are connecting. If my art can enhance an atmosphere and facilitate warmth and peace, then that’s where I need to be.”

One of the things Thompson finds most rewarding about being an artist and business owner is having a youth intern, better known as her “sidekick.” Thompson’s youth intern, Kennedy, is a student at Heyward Gibbes Middle School, in Columbia. Thompson teaches her sidekick some very important fundamentals in key areas, such as how to successfully run and operate a small business, art creation, and how to harness her internal greatness. Thompson is an author, as well. Her book, #ImpressYourself, was released in September 2019 as a birthday present to herself and the entire world. Much like the mission that underpins her art company, her book is designed to allow readers to take their own personal journeys on the upward climb to learning to, above all, impress themselves. Thompson considers herself a visionary. “It’s not my job to tell people the answers, but to help them think and dream bigger. We have so much inside of us that we should share with the world. When we become unapologetic about our greatness, we can truly be world changers.”

With a degree in psychology and a background in adolescent and adult learning, Thompson is keen on bringing healing to those around her. She has a personality that will light up a room and a spark that embodies her work. “It never feels like work to me; I feel that connecting with people is what I was put on this Earth to do, so I do it.” Thompson currently conducts workshops and seminars to help people with vision casting while exploring and discovering their true “inner selves.” Check Natural Awakenings of Columbia’s calendar listings for her upcoming events. In addition, Thompson is available for speaking engagements, as well as hosting painting experiences.

For more information, contact Candace Thompson at 718-924-1752, or CandaceTheWordArtist@gmail.com or CanvasesWithCandace@ gmail.com. Also visit her Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and websites: @CandaceTheWordArtist, @CanvasesWithCandace, @CanvasesWithC, CandaceTheWordArtist.com and CanvasesWithCandace. com. See ad, page 33.