Gracie Painting

British contemporary fine artist Carla Thompson has an impressive background in fashion and design. One of the major influences in her work as an artist, it is her background and her own study of elaborately constructed still-lives from her private collection that often determines her choice of imagery. Carla’s exciting vision is a modern, fresh approach to portraiture derived from stylish, fashion-forward subjects that she blends using a contemporary feel combined with the old masters’ techniques. As an artist, she favours using the finest quality oil paints along with handmade brushes and other age-old mediums to produce her exquisite works. Her contemporary interpretation of the classic portrait is indeed unique, balancing modern art and classical style, creating focal drama. Indeed, Carla believes that craftsmanship is a luxury and that is apparent when studying her work, her pieces designed to resonate with today’s lifestyle and visual language yet stand the test of time. The process that Carla adopts is steeped in history. Each colour involved is carefully selected and painstakingly celebrated through the application of glazing and different coloured grounds. The end result is a seamless cohesion between old and new, cleverly woven together to create one, harmonious symphony. As well as her mesmerising paintings, her exacting attention to detail is applied to her craftsmanship, each piece a testimony to her talent. Carla’s own style of imagery is unparalleled and when viewing her paintings, it is as if there is an unspoken invitation to discover grace in contemplating the undulated depths of colour and form.