Visual Art – Victoria
Zanna Joy Thompson, a talented young portrait artist, is best known for her realistic, beautifully rendered portraits and drawings of eyes. Zanna draws her inspiration from faces, each wrinkle and scar telling a story, viewing the eyes as a wet window into the soul. People are often astounded about how she is able to recreate that wet, glass-like reflection in the eyes. In her work she strives to capture the true essence of her subject and convey emotion through each mark she makes. When asked about her work she said, “I want my drawings to look alive—for you to expect them to blink or breathe at any moment.” Her preferred medium is pencil crayon, as she is able to replicate even the finest detail using this often overlooked medium. However, when working large scale she uses soft pastel. Zanna was born and raised in the Comox Valley, where she currently is enrolled in the Fine Arts Diploma program at North Island College. Her high school art teacher, Dave Randall, played a large role in her success. He pushed her out of her comfort zone with projects tailored specifically for her, guiding and encouraging along the way. He helped her work on her perfectionism, by repeating this mantra to her: “Set realistic expectations.” Without this influence in her life, she says she likely would have never worked larger than a sketchbook size, and her work would not be where it is today. Zanna’s growth as an artist under Dave Randall’s mentorship was exponential, and she hopes to continue to grow as an artist in these coming years as more opportunities arise.