About Me

My illustration career began around the time I learned to sign my name and discovered floors, walls and furniture made pretty neat canvasses. By the time I hit second grade, I became a tattoo artist for my classmates (also pretty neat canvasses) in spite of inadequate pay and their being forced to bathe. Once I grew up a little, I …

Starting From Chicken Scratch

So I’ve been contemplating lately what my next move will be regarding my illustration career. As I blogged earlier, I don’t think the direction I was heading was quite the right direction I should be. It’s kind of hard to keep doing what you’re doing when what you’re doing isn’t doing anything. Isn’t that the definition of madness? Spinning your …

Dear Fall: If I had appreciated you more, would you have stayed?

(The trail photo is from September, taken while riding my bike on the Great Allegheny Passage.) I’m already tired of the snow. And the winter. And the scraping of the car every time I want to go somewhere. And the gloves that you can’t use to do anything except keep warm. And it really isn’t even winter yet for another …

Illustrations for Jack & Jill Magazine

Here are a few more of the illustrations I did for Jack and Jill‘s March/April issue. These ones were spots that were scattered in and around some “how to go green for Earth Day” suggestions. This first one encouraged kids to ride their bikes to school. I played with that iconic “school zone” street sign showing kids walking to school …

New photography portfolio images

I’ve updated my photography portfolio with several more landscape images and photos from Banning No. 3 Mine. Click on “portfolio” and choose “photography.” These are all silver gelatin prints, made the old-fashioned way with film, chemicals, paper, dodging and burning. My portfolio site URL: http://www.norathompson.us Banning No. 3 Mine operated just outside Van Meter, PA and is off the Yough …

The Great Allegheny Passage

Biked today from Rockwood, PA to Meyersdale (and back, of course) with my hubby and two of our friends. The Salisbury Viaduct is a killer for people like me who inherited the fear-of-heights gene. Absolutely beautiful day for a ride!

Alice & Ruthie

My mother used to tell a story about riding on the handlebars of her sister’s bike, dredging up memories of braking and pavement; the “Aunt Emma incident”. Although not verbatim, this image was inspired by my mother and her sister during the happier seconds before Aunt Emma ever became involved.