Never too old story Jamieson Thomas – Artist, Athlete

“I?never thought?about?being?an artist, I always felt I?was?an artist,” she said. “It is who I am.”?

The artist and athlete

At?16,?Jamieson Thomas won?a gold medal?for a drawing of her grandmother.?It led to a chance to be mentored by a professional artist.

At Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, NY, Thomas earned a bachelor’s degree in fine art and business. She also we a founding member of the Skidmore rowing crew.

Thomas went on to paint murals and create greeting cards. After moving to Dallas, she created a cultural literacy program that taught children to appreciate different cultures through art, music and cuisine. The program was so well received it was adopted throughout the school system.

By 56 she won the U.S. Singles Sculling?competition?for her age group and won an award for being the fastest female rower in the U.S. Masters National Championships.?

The crash?

Just a few months after winning national acclaim as America’s fastest female rower, Thomas’ world came to an abrupt, painful halt. Near her Winter Park home, she was waiting for a red light to turn green when a driver, who was texting, violently rear-ended Thomas’ car, propelling her into the car ahead.?A witness estimated the texting driver was going over 50 mph when she struck Thomas.?

For a year, she woke up with serious aches and pains. The doctor told her that people who have had similar injuries usually claim disability and never compete again. “I shrugged my shoulders and told him, that’s not me.”

As part of her road to recovery and healing, she decided to pursue a master’s degree at the School of Visual Arts in New York City. The instructor encouraged her to find new ways to expand her artistic vision. As a result, she started incorporating other media and her concern for the environment into her art.

One of?Thomas’?most ambitious projects was knitting a 30-foot “blanket” out of discarded plastic found on the beach. She carved large, wooden needles to knit the pieces together.?

? What’s next?

Today, Thomas continues to find new challenges. She is working on a one-act play based on the real-life story of a?great?aunt?who lived in Boston and Brooklyn and was?a?twice-institutionalized composer whose music has not been heard since the 1930s.??

Thomas?also?is?busy adding to her collection and exhibiting her works.?It is as if the crash – as terrible as it was – unleashed new rivers of creativity.?She is one of only 22?fine artists chosen through a juried process who?work?at McRae Art Studios in Orlando where she paints, sculpts,?draws?and exhibits her photography.?The range of expression seems endless. She describes her?collection?as “the delicate intersection of humanity in natural environments.”?

While her art is flourishing, so is?Thomas’?body and spirit. The resilient?athlete?is back on the water rowing with the national masters in her sights.?

“I plan to compete, even if I can’t win,” she said.?

No one is counting her out.?When it comes to living life to the fullest, Jamieson Thomas is already a winner.?

To find out more and to view Thomas’ online gallery, go to?www.jamiesonthomas.com.

Credit to Growing Bolder at growingbolder.com