Studio Space: Pat Thompson

When she was a young girl growing up in Columbus, Ohio, Pat Thompson spent the days climbing trees in her backyard. She would challenge herself to climb to the top of the tallest branch. Years later, after starting a family, she found that her childhood passion translated to another love: art.

Thompson, 65, is a self-described sculptor. Molding and crafting new work in metal, book printing, glass and wood sparks her creativity as a junior at Ringling College of Art and Design. (Thompson is the wife of Larry Thompson, president of Ringling.)

While walking with a friend last fall on the campus of New College of Florida, Thompson came upon the debris of a tree shattered by lightning. The lightning bolt created 444 individual pieces of bark, which Thompson collected. She took it as a sign: Four is her favorite number because she was born April 4. She created a series of seven pieces from her collection of bark.

“I have learned so much that it’s hard to even to begin to condense it into a few sentences,” says Thompson. “I’ve not only grown as an artist, but I have grown as a person because of the experience here.”
 

Mouse over the photo below to explore Thompson's studio.