Nora Thompson
Latrobe, Pennsylvania
"This is my art, and it is dangerous."
About Me
For much of my professional life, my art stayed safely inside the lines. I followed the rules as I understood them and made a career as an illustrator, graphic designer, fine artist, and writer. I’ve exhibited my work since 1990 and illustrated professionally since 1992, working in everything from acrylic, graphite, colored pencil, and charcoal to pen and ink and digital, on surfaces like canvas, wood, paper, and even old cabinet doors.
But after years of admiring artists who weren’t afraid to break the rules, I realized it was time to bend a few of my own. I started imagining odd little characters whose only purpose was to exist for me. I gave myself permission to experiment, to make mistakes, and to see where it led. In pushing my materials, I stretched my own creative boundaries too.
These days, those characters have found homes in galleries and collections across the country — and I’ve long since stopped worrying about staying inside the lines.
Examples of My Work
Fun Facts
I have twins. They're fraternal, but look so much alike that when they were growing up my sister had a problem telling them apart.
I got married at the top of Cadillac Mountain at sunrise on summer solstice, which turned out to be 4:44 am. Cadillac Mountain is part of Acadia National Park and close to Bar Harbor, Maine, but the weather was perfect that day in spite of being June in the North Atlantic, and the water reflected like glass.
I started playing drums when I was nine. Music was my first love, but I figured out in adulthood that I was much better at making visual art than music.
I graduated at the top of my college class at the age of 40. Bonus Fun Fact: I met and later married my college clay professor.
I used to be a tour guide at Fallingwater, the Frank Lloyd Wright house designed over a waterfall. I had lived less than 30 miles from the building my entire life, but hadn't actually visited there until I was well into adulthood.
More About Me
What do you want to learn next?
Blender and 3-D printing, although I've been wanting to get started for years and have never found the time.
When you’re not making art, what sparks your creativity or joy?
Hiking, biking, and watching animated movies, but not all at once.
How do you hope people feel when they engage with your art?
I want them to whisper under their breath, "This is the piece I've been waiting for, and I didn't even know it."