Senior Ryan Thompson
Canned creations
October 26, 2016
Art. It’s one of the most universal methods for expression and connecting. When you think of an artist, you immediately think of them using tools such as pencil, watercolor, or even acrylic paint to create their pieces. Lately, artists have been finding new ways to express their talent through different mediums that shock not only themselves but the spectators viewing.
Wenatchee High School senior Ryan Thompson uses spray paint as his artistic medium, only on canvases instead of walls. The entire process begins with one piece of glossy white paper. Scenes of starry galaxies, warm sunsets, and tall skylines are created atop this page.
Thompson starts with a blank 14-by-20 paper, and “from there I start with the background and work my way forward to the foreground,” Thompson said. “If I go into a lot of detail it can take me up to three or four hours, but others only take me around one to two hours, and then a 24-hour dry time.”
Through this artistic medium, Thompson has been given a lot of new opportunities. He recently started making custom work and selling his art locally; selling to friends, and anyone else who is interested. You can check out his art on Instagram (@ryan_spa).
Since he started selling his art on Instagram, it also has opened up for a lot of new exposure outside of friends, and into the community. Thompson recently had an article written about him in The Wenatchee World. Believe it or not, he hasn’t been spray painting for a very long time.
Ryan first got interested in art when he saw the spray paint artist perform at Apple Blossom Festival, and was instantly intrigued to test it out for himself. “From there I just taught myself all the techniques,” he says.
One Sunday afternoon he decided to grab a chunk of cardboard and started playing around with only a few select colors of spray paint, that day he ended up creating his first piece that represented space. Ever since then he continues to improve his art by using different techniques and methods such as fire to set the paint.
Besides school and spray painting you might also find Thompson mountain and road biking, rock climbing, snowboarding,using drones, and playing lacrosse. He uses these interests as inspiration for his creations as well.
“When I’m biking or snowboarding and see a sweet landscape or view, I will take a picture and come home and create it later,” Thompson says.
He plans to keep art only as a hobby for now, but he still manages to keep himself busy by working at Cycle Central, and is also involved in the fire science program at the Wenatchee Valley Tech Center. Ryan hopes to continue his work, and to improve his artistic techniques while balancing his hobbies and goals after high school. Thompson says, “Selling art has given me motivation go bigger.”