Rising Stars: Meet Carla Thompson

Today we’d like to introduce you to Carla Thompson.

Carla, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
With all the changes from Covid, we decided to homeschool my daughter for the 2020-2021 school year. As part of her curriculum, we signed her up for a weekly art class. She would come home with ideas and things she wanted to try. However, between full-time work and handling all the things related to homeschool, time and funds were limited. They did a paint pour in one of her art classes and she came home loving it. We decided to give it a try at home and had a blast! We started watching a few videos for different ideas and ran across the Dutch pour method. I knew we just HAD to try it! Well, we did and it was AWFUL! I woke up the next morning way too early because I couldn’t get our failure off my mind. I played around with a couple of different paint mixtures and tried again. It was one of those moments where I impressed and surprised myself. I couldn’t believe I could create something so beautiful. When my daughter woke up, we tried it again, and her creation was stunning. I was so fascinated by the intricate details and various reactions from the paint. It all started there. I was hooked! I just couldn’t watch enough videos of other artists, different techniques, and paint recipes. Not only was the most unartistic person I know (me) able to create beautiful artwork, but I was able to spend much needed quality time with the teenager doing something we both enjoyed. Pretty soon creating became almost like therapy and provided a way to relax after a rough day of working in an elementary school amidst all the new Covid rules. One day I made a joke that if I was going to continue with my hobby, we would have to start selling paintings in order to buy more supplies to continue….and AAC Designs was born! My super supportive husband said go for it and we found our first event. Then we were all hooked! We turn the shows into family time and enjoy meeting people and learning new things as we go. We still paint on canvas, but have also added coasters, keychains, and jewelry to our inventory. I am now a full-time artist and can’t wait to see where this journey takes us!

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
Life tends to get in the way and making time and space to create is often a challenge. Nothing in life is easy and we’ve certainly had our share of challenges. I spent most of my adult life working just for the paycheck and supporting others, so finally realizing my passion and having such a wonderful support system is an amazing feeling!

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I specialize in fluid art paintings and coasters. We also use the paint leftover to make jewelry and create keychains using resin. I am proud of our work so far and look forward to learning and growing in the future. I think what sets us apart is that this really is a family business. We are all involved in some aspect of the business, creating and supporting each other.

We’re always looking for the lessons that can be learned in any situation, including tragic ones like the Covid-19 crisis. Are there any lessons you’ve learned that you can share?
I think Covid has been tough but has reminded us of the importance of family. It is so important to be there for each other and to let your loved ones know how important they are.

Contact Info:

• Email: Aacdesignsart@gmail.com
• Instagram: Www.Instagram.com/AACDesignsArt
• Facebook: Www.Facebook.com/AACDesignsArt