Today, we’d like to introduce you to Valerie Thompson.
Hi Valerie, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Art was always my favorite class in school. I never really expected it to go anywhere, though, and I took a series of desk jobs after high school. My dad passed away when I was 20, and I didn’t draw or paint anything for about three years after that. Something in me felt like it had died with him, and it felt like my creativity would never come back. Then, I quit my last desk job in 2017 and had no idea what I would do, so I started drawing again and it really made me happy. I made a series of illustrations of girls with some surrealist aspects.
I was dealing with quite a bit of imposter syndrome then; I felt I was creating aspects of myself I had never met, so I decided to name my page after my middle name, Jane (Jane the Stranger). Somehow, this separation allowed me to push my art to places I had been too nervous to go to, plus if people hated it, at least I had a name to hide behind. I got set up hanging my artwork in coffee shops and selling prints of these. This was my income for about a year when a tattoo artist reached out to me and told me he liked my work and asked if I would be interested in learning to tattoo. Now, five years later, I can definitely say I have my dream job of creating cool, weird tattoos for people and giving them a permanent piece of art.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Yes and no, I think I got lucky with the way the job came to me. I would have never thought of tattooing as a career for me, but I still feel intimidated by other tattoo artists to this day, so the fact that someone asked me to do it is very flattering. I will say, though, that I got scammed.
Long story short, there are no regulations in Utah for the tattoo industry – so someone can charge you a lot of money only to show you how to set up a machine. But whatever, a lot of other people in the shop kindly taught me anything I asked to learn. I feel grateful because seeing that many different artists’ works and techniques taught me more than a traditional apprenticeship might have.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar with what you do, what can you tell them about what you do?
I create art that mainly features people with surrealist aspects. Each piece has a lot of detail and tells a story, though each story is up the the viewer’s interpretation. I like to create art that makes you look twice and think a bit.
I’m known for mashing up things that don’t normally go together. I recently created a series of “Flowerfly girls” that I’m really proud of. It was to portray stages of grief, both known and unknown. But I like hearing what it brings up in other people. I create heart-based art. Every finished piece is an expression from somewhere in me I could never have enough words to describe.
Who else deserves credit for your story?
My grade school art teacher, Forbes Elementary, Mrs. Giles. She was the one who made art seem magical. My husband Ryan, who didn’t question me quitting a job I hated and supported me every single step of the way, helped me sell prints at my first art show, and is still the first person I want to show any creation to, my biggest fan and cheerleader. My friend Jeanette Collins, thank you forever for seeing the potential in me before I even knew it existed.
Bree Briggs is my other biggest fan and walking portfolio. My sister Hilaree Brand she’s been a huge help with the business side as well as support. Omar, the owner of People’s Coffee, for supporting local artists from the bottom of his heart. Laura Rith and Hans Serpa, both helped me in tattooing more than I could’ve learned by myself. And, of course, my dad, who I know still cheers me on and is proud of me, even if in a different dimension.
Contact Info:
- Website: janethestranger.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/janethestranger
- Facebook: facebook.com/janethestranger
Image Credits
Danielle Brog
