Kim Thompson Original Art

Kim Thompson Original Art

Kim Thompson Original Art: Kim works as both a wildlife artist and illustrator and lives on the edge of the New Forest national park in Southern England. She trained at Dyfed College of Art, West Wales, where she studied wildlife illustration and taxidermy, graduating with a Distinction in the late 1980s. This training has had a strong influence on her painting style.

Concentrating on natural history subjects, including animals, birds, fish, reptiles and even dinosaurs, Kim paints a huge variety of creatures for many different companies illustrating anything from books to company logos. Clients have included Royal Doulton, Blenheim Palace, Marshall Cavendish and Macmillan Books. Working primarily in acrylics, oils and watercolours, her paintings and illustrations are characterised by a close attention to detail and realism and a vibrant use of colour.

Kim travels widely in search of reference material for her work and regularly visits Botswana’s Okavango Delta where she has led painting and photographic safaris and worked with conservation projects. Other ventures have taken her to the Himalayas researching Snow Leopard Habitat and the Bass Rock in Scotland to draw gannets.

Ideas for paintings are collected in sketchbooks and photos, stones and wood, feathers and grasses. Written notes, poems, and pieces of nature writing also guide the development of ideas once back in the studio. Writing has also led Kim to develop ideas for children’s books and the creation of various characters.

Kim’s original paintings have been sold at Christie’s Wildlife Art auctions and she exhibits with the Society of Feline Artists, the Society of Women Artists and Society of Equestrian Artists.