An artist’s life Gerry Thompson turned her talent and her Fine Arts diploma into a decades-long career. By Patty Wellborn It’s a fine thing to discover that you have artistic talent. It’s even more commendable to develop that talent through education. Gerry Thompson (Fine Arts dip ’80) did both of those things more than 30 years ago. But what’s really impressive about Gerry’s path since then is how she took her talent and education, and combined it with a knack for business and marketing. She has forged a successful artistic career spanning several decades and, along the way, has made the time to be a teacher and mentor of other artists. Gerry first picked up a paintbrush when she was expecting her second child in the early 1970s. She was at home, a tad bored, and wanted to try something new, so she painted a picture. Back then, Gerry was already an established solo pianist and had earned an associate degree from the University of Toronto’s Royal Conservatory of Music. Fast forward a few years (it’s now the mid 1970s), and Gerry has just moved with her husband and three young children from Alberta to Abbotsford. She was excited to learn that the newly established Fraser Valley College had a fine arts program. She eagerly registered — but quickly learned that juggling the chores of raising children, teaching piano in her home studio, and keeping up with her classes and homework was tough. It took Gerry four years to finish the two-year Fine Arts program but even after graduation in 1980, her thirst for knowledge and her love of painting were barely satiated. “It was tough back then,” she admits. “I would often burn the midnight oil trying to get my school work completed. And usually I would have to leave classes early to get home before my children returned from school. It was challenging, but I wouldn’t change a minute of it.” She talks fondly about instructors Mircho and Janina Jakabow, but stresses that they were tough teachers who demanded the best from their students. The pair organized two trips for the students — one to New York City to explore galleries, museums, and print studios; and the other to San Francisco to discover art studios, museums, undulating streets, unique architecture, and gardens. “These trips were like a cultural shot in the arm for me,” Gerry says. “It was an eye-opening experience to saturate myself artistically in these bustling cities. Gerry graduated from FVC with a Fine Arts diploma in painting and printmaking in 1980. During the next few years, she enrolled in as many workshops and courses that she could find, and studied under several established North American artists. Gerry was still dabbling with a paintbrush and teaching piano in her home, when former instructor Janina Jakabow recommended that she teach watercolour classes for FVC Continuing Education. As her children were growing up around her, Gerry continued teaching piano (and instructing student piano teachers), as well as regular watercolour classes for the college, and workshops for several local art societies. It was a busy time in her life, and from those connections, many bonds and friendships were made. She continued to sell her paintings to corporate and private buyers, which included painting for The Pantry restaurant chain for 19 years. “I always felt that I had the best of both worlds, because I was able to work from my home and also be with my children.” Some personal changes came in 1989 when Thompson moved to Vancouver and had “the sad experience of saying goodbye to this era in my life.” Her students wanted to stay in touch, so Gerry suggested that they form an art society. That year the Fraser Valley Watercolour Society was established and in 1993 the rapidly expanding group was incorporated and registered in Victoria. The FVWS is still an active organization with more than 60 members. The society brings prominent BC professional artists for demos and workshops and continues to grow in both numbers and expertise. Gerry, one of its founding members, is a proud honorary lifetime member. Still painting pretty well every day, Gerry recently completed three pieces to help commemorate the Vancouver Olympics. One entitled Gastown Stroll was on display during the Olympics at the Federation of Canadian Artists’ exhibition on Granville Island. “People always ask me if it’s easy to sell a painting after the many hours I spend working on it, and honestly most of the time I’m not sad to see it go,” she laughs. “There are new images just waiting for me to paint.” In fact, she has several paintings on the go at any one time. Jars of paint, pallettes, papers, and a current work of art cover her large dining room table. Meals are usually taken between brush strokes. Raised in Vancouver in a ‘business family’, she has a strong work ethic. She is an active member of the local chamber of commerce. Her days are filled planning for upcoming shows, publishing and marketing her artwork, and doing everything

27 miles at 95 degrees from Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada, is another group of human facial portraits, the most vivid is called the "Badlands Guardian". gps: 50.010262, -110.113747 This figure was found by Lynn Hickox on or before 2008 using Google Earth software. As a non-academic researcher, I am very intrigued by the fact of what appears to be two figures, a King figure below and a devil figure with horns perched above in the crown area , very similar in shape to the Pan of Greece, Green Man, Dionysius, Faunos of Rome, and several other mythologies. There are many "accepted explanations" of the lower figure, almost all of which discount its human portrait meanings, claiming, "It is a naturally occurring land feature". I can almost guarantee that this is not a weather erosion coincidence, and I have isolated and enhanced the two figures to distinguish them from the heavily weathered background landscape. Other extremely faded figures surround these two main shapes. This set of figures was an intentional portrait of a King and God "symbolic pair", and his name was probably associated with Pan or Faunos. Given the prominent display of a Pan-type figure in the crown, the message is "he spread his seed with exuberance". I have seen this association before. Concurrently, I find the naming association of "Badlands", and "Medicine Hat", so interesting, along with the imagery of Pan and this ancient King. The Greek God Pan was associated with the rising sun, with the horned goat of fertility and prosperity, and with agricultural abundance. I can only guess he was "good medicine" too. Other plausible Greek etymologies in this Alberta, Canada area... Cherokee, the Chee-Spirit of Air-o-klees, Hercules Sioux-Zeus of the Greeks, Shu of the Egyptians Dakota-Dactyloi, Horse Tribes of Zeus, for which Hercules was a member... Illinois-Hellenes, Elianas, the Lions of Greece Minneapolis, the Polis of the Minneans First Nation Tribes of Alberta, interesting phonetic similarities... Alexander, Alexis Bands: Alexander the Great, Arkasantris, Arkansas Chipewayan: Spirits (Chee) of Pequots, Picts, Pekhat, the Guardian Lions (also of Scotland) Peigan: Pequots, -Picts of Scotland Dene Tha’ : Dinas, Danes, Vikings Siksika: Seka, Secota, Scots Enoch: Di-o-ny-sius, Te-o-no-chee, Gods of the Night; Greek and Egyptian Sucker Creek: Soker Osiris, God of the Underworld Tsuu Tina: Dinas, Danes, Vikings Sesh ketchut: Egyptian, Light of Amun Ra Amateur Theory Note: The one common location where Mitochondrial DNA experts agree, of old world and new world gene type commonalities (Northern Europe and Northern Canada), is with the rare X-Haplotype occurrence in the Chippewa tribes of Canada, and I believe the Pictish and Viking areas of Europe. However, since all the samples that are researched are the mother-carried DNA codes, and all the trans-ocean visitors probably were male-dominated warriors and sailors, I have to believe that inter-continental diffusion and world trade among cultures was much more extensive than is politically accepted today. The Piegan tribes, I believe, were rumored to be "white indians", plausibly related to the Mandans, and possibly "Welsh" in features. Also Note: The "Ipod" vertical line out of the ear area is actually a recently added oil well and road.