Featured Artists » DENNIS THOMPSON

• fantasy,
• pottery,
• sculpture

DENNIS THOMPSON

Dennis Thompson graduated from Northwest Missouri State University in Maryville, Missouri in 1973 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree and has worked as a professional artist since 1975.

Thompson creates one-of-a-kind sculptural fantasy figures, primarily dragons, using porcelain and stoneware clays and gemstones. The eggs are thrown on a potter's wheel, dried to leather consistency, broken open, and then the dragon or parts of a dragon are sculpted and added to the egg. They are then bisque fired, cooled, glazed, and then fired again. He has also cast numerous pieces in bronze.

As a student, Thompson studied the artwork of the Asian dynasties, and experimented with various style techniques. The dragons came about when he was making knobs for pottery vases. Eventually the vases became eggs and the dragons got larger. Now these dragons with their jeweled eyes represent more of a medieval or science fiction character than a Chinese dynasty.

Speaking on the popularity of his sculptures, Thompson says “most sculptures are just there. But these have action. The eruption of the dragon coming out of the eggs attracts people.” He adds “Science fiction movies commonly use dragon-like monsters and creatures for outer space aliens, he said. The American public is fascinated with mythical beasts.” Thompson’s work, known and collected nationwide, has won numerous awards and has been exhibited all across the country including the prestigious “The Art of Fantasy and Science Fiction” that was held at the Delaware Art Museum in Wilmington. This invitational show, the largest of its kind ever staged in the United States, featured work by the finest European and American fantasy artists