Press Releases:

Red Bluff Art Association’s artist of the month for April is Lisa Thompson, who favors working in clay. In addition, she paints scenes of cattle, horses and landscapes in watercolor.

“People are drawn to the unique, to beauty, to talent and to kindness and everyone is drawn to Lisa. Her youthful determination and great courage inspire all of us to try harder and be better than we think we can be."  states Connie Maxey, Association President.  

Lisa’s early life was spent in the country near Healdsburg, California. She had horses and ponies. At age 13 she and her family moved to a ranch in Red Bluff. Lisa soon became involved in showing quarter horses throughout California. She won numerous ribbons, awards, silver buckles and even a saddle in all-around youth. She also competed in the High School Rodeo State Finals in girl’s cutting, placing fifth.

Lisa was interested in art from an early age. Her Grandma Jolly was one of her early mentors. They enjoyed sketching from nature together. Lisa excelled in school art classes and won some awards for pencil drawings using a graph technique to produce a likeness. While in high school, she took two semesters of ceramics from Mrs. Wells and a Shasta College freehand drawing class through the extension program. 

Tragedy struck when on March 30, 1996, 18 year-old Lisa and her boyfriend were involved in a terrible car accident. Her boyfriend didn’t survive. Lisa spent three months in a coma followed by over a year of speech, occupational and physical therapy due to a traumatic brain injury. She was left with limited use of her right side.

 Looking for a creative outlet for her hands and mind, Lisa enrolled in Paul Rideout’s Shasta College ceramics class in 1999.  Here she blossomed as she created sculptures of horses, dogs, cow skulls, mules, lizards, and other things. She credits Paul, Linda Ross, Jay Murphy, Mary Beadle, Chrissie Clapp, Bruce Ross, Robert Southard, and many others with inspiring and guiding her success. The works Lisa makes continue to impress all who come to know her. Currently, she is still creating ceramics in the class.

Lisa makes unique lamps, vases, soap dishes, spoon rests, candy dishes, cups, bowls, sculptures, and other items. She prefers to raku fire her works. This is a process that originated in Japan. It involves firing the piece in a bisque kiln first. The piece is then glazed and rapidly fired outdoors in an especially built kiln. It is removed while red hot, buried in cedar shavings, and allowed to “smoke” while it cools. This forms a rustic and unique, often crackled finish.

In 2007, Lisa took up watercolor painting with guidance from Charlie Fox. Her works depicting pastoral scenes of the familiar cattle and horses have won ribbons at the Tehama County Fair. Lisa is an active member in RBAA. She has shown her works in Art Association exhibits and was one of the featured artists at Art Walk. Two of her sculptures were accepted by Shasta College for their student art exhibit and won awards. Lisa also sold one of her cow skull sculptures in the silent auction at the 2010 Bull and Gelding Sale Art Exhibition.

Sales of Lisa’s art help provide means for art supplies and artistic involvement.  Lisa is thankful God spared her life and for her artistic talent. Currently, she is showing some of her works at the Montana Morrison Gallery. She has sold, donated and given many ceramic pieces as gifts. Lisa has new works that will be fired later this month. The Morrison Gallery is located at 625 Walnut Street, Red Bluff. Gallery hours are Wednesday to Friday, noon to 5 p.m. and Saturday from noon to 3:00. They are open by appointment, 529-3347. Note: During Rodeo week the Gallery hours are extended from Monday, April 16^th to Sunday, April 22^nd, 12 noon to 5:00 p.m. daily.

Submitted by   Arlene Winslow, Secretary