Andrew L. Thompson

Andrew L. Thompson, a resident of Missouri City, Texas, is an accomplished artist whose fine arts career has evolved over thirty years. Andrew had a deep interest in art at an early age of his life. Growing up on the Gulf Coast (south of Houston), his high school in Sweeny, Texas, did not offer art classes, yet his parents encouraged him to use his artistic abilities. He often talked about his desire to study art at Texas Southern University in Houston under Dr. John Biggers, but he later learned that the university did not have a commercial art program. In 1963, Thompson graduated from high school and moved to Ft. Worth, Texas to attend the University of Texas at Arlington, enrolling in the Commercial Art Program. This was a challenging, new experience for Andrew as he had no prior formal art exposure, and he was moving from a small segregated school environment to a large integrated multidisciplinary college environment.

At the University of Texas at Arlington, Thompson learned the basics of composition and color theory. Many of his instructors were abstract artists and it was through them that he learned to appreciate abstract art. Andrew earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree from the University of Texas at Arlington, and later received a Graphic Communication Certificate from the Art Institute of Houston. He is currently an art educator in Houston, Texas.

Thompson’s attitude, ideas, and techniques developed over the course of more than thirty years of painting. He acquired skills in a wide variety of media, including watercolor, oil, pastel, pencil and acrylic. His successful level of artistic achievement, however, involves watercolor and acrylic painting. Art critics acclaim that Andrew’s strongest artistic attribute is his vivid, exuberant use of color. Thompson’s creative philosophy is to create a unified composition with a balance of good design and color harmony that creates a harmonious relationship among all parts of an artwork.

Andrew’s art images has ranged from realistic to abstract expressionistic paintings that depicts subject matter as Buffalo Soldiers, African scenes, women, families, musicians, cowboys, still life subjects and nature scenes. His subject matter always reflects the history and content of American influences with equal authenticity, as well as celebrates the Urban American environment. Andrew’s visual jazz compositions were influenced by his love of jazz music which he began listening and appreciating during his college years. Many of Thompson’s current paintings have geometric shapes and vivid colors that come alive with the energetic syncopation and improvisation of this uniquely American music.

Thompson has exhibited in many group and solo exhibitions nationwide, including the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington, DC, and the State Capitol of Texas in Austin. These experiences have been exceptionally positive and rewarding. He expressed that various black art galleries as well sponsored art festivals provide active art markets for participating artists, both emerging and established. This level of engagement is a rewarding educational forum that fosters black culture of the African-American community. Andrew feels that there is a growing interest in black art across the board, and these art forums are helping to encourage and support that interest.

Andrew’s private collectors are many and scattered throughout the globe. His most notably collectors include Clarice Tinsley, of KDFW/TV, in Dallas, Texas, Olympian Carl Lewis, of California, Paul Jones, of Atlanta, Georgia, The Pehl Collection in Eldersburg, Maryland, Ingrid Saunders Jones, of the Coca-Cola Company, in Atlanta, Georgia, Victor Williams, of the King of Queens TV Show, Dr. Glenda Coleman, of Houston, Texas, and Allison Leland, widow of Congressman Mickey Leland, in Houston, Texas.