Ezra Thompson picked up a paintbrush several years ago when he and his wife, Pam, wanted to dress up bare walls in their 946 Winburn Ave. home.
But instead of buying someone else’s art, Thompson figured he’d try painting himself.
“I had never picked up a brush before, but I had seen abstract impressionism,” he says. “Let me try my hand at it.”
On a date night, the couple stayed home and put brush to canvas. Now, a dozen of his pieces hang in this comfortable brick home. (You may have seen them because the Thompson home was on the 2009 Tour of Homes.) He returned to art seriously two years ago.
“I just followed my own heart,” he says. For a guy who works in the techie world of IT, painting “puts some color in my life,” he says.
Thompson, who is 51, sets up his easel in the small basement kitchen. A door to the backyard lets in natural light. Thompson has done a series of paintings: “Amen,” which shows people in prayer and “Ballet dancers,” inspired by watching his wife take ballet classes a few years ago.
He paints in an “impasto” style, where the paint is thickly applied to the canvas. It gives paintings more depth. He laughed as he said he’d never be a Rembrandt with sketching out his work, so impasto is more forgiving of any errors.
He credits his wife for pushing him. “She sees more talent in me than I do myself,” he says.
But instead of buying someone else’s art, Thompson figured he’d try painting himself.
“I had never picked up a brush before, but I had seen abstract impressionism,” he says. “Let me try my hand at it.”
On a date night, the couple stayed home and put brush to canvas. Now, a dozen of his pieces hang in this comfortable brick home. (You may have seen them because the Thompson home was on the 2009 Tour of Homes.) He returned to art seriously two years ago.
“I just followed my own heart,” he says. For a guy who works in the techie world of IT, painting “puts some color in my life,” he says.
Thompson, who is 51, sets up his easel in the small basement kitchen. A door to the backyard lets in natural light. Thompson has done a series of paintings: “Amen,” which shows people in prayer and “Ballet dancers,” inspired by watching his wife take ballet classes a few years ago.
He paints in an “impasto” style, where the paint is thickly applied to the canvas. It gives paintings more depth. He laughed as he said he’d never be a Rembrandt with sketching out his work, so impasto is more forgiving of any errors.
He credits his wife for pushing him. “She sees more talent in me than I do myself,” he says.
"Jump Rope"
One of his favorite paintings is a large orange canvas. Six girls in the middle play double dutch jump rope. He said the playfulness of the scene appeals to him.
Thompson has sold a few pieces at an East Point art festival during the summer. He’d like to sell more. Meanwhile, he is taking an art class in February to build on what he has taught himself.
If you like what you see, Ezra can be reached at ezraleeart@gmail.com.
Thompson has sold a few pieces at an East Point art festival during the summer. He’d like to sell more. Meanwhile, he is taking an art class in February to build on what he has taught himself.
If you like what you see, Ezra can be reached at ezraleeart@gmail.com.
