A. THOMPSON, Painter

A. Thompson lives and works in Lukachukai, Arizona. Born and raised on the Navajo Nation, the youngest of four siblings, she earned a master’s in health care administration. In 2010, she discovered painting and explored techniques and styles on her own. She stated, “Growing up on the Navajo Reservation was hard due to poverty, lack of mentorship and being surrounded by drugs and alcohol but I have always been influenced by art. Art saved my life in so many ways than one. I can remember using art as an escape path when things were bad or when I was sad in my childhood days and even in my adult life today.” She studied the work of Native and non-Native artists, stating, “I am just an individual with a sponge, a bucket of water, a syringe, a spoon, a spray bottle, with bad eyesight. . . . I choose to show what is on my mind and in my heart.”