WB ThompsonMade from Scratch

Larry Braga once owned a record store and was a champion of Quelbe musicians, including Jamesie and the Kafooners. I came to know Larry through Jane and the gallery, and from the start he embodied the same effortless cool that lived in the music itself. Quelbe, or Scratch bands, were often informal, improvisational groups, creating music with whatever instruments were at hand. That spirit of spontaneous invention resonated deeply with me and continues to shape my own artistic practice. My work reflects a similarly unrehearsed, bold approach to creation, guided by intuition rather than strict structure.

Early on, my mentor and “Master Yoda” of art teachers, Professor Bill Bristow, recognized this instinct in my work. He noted that I approached each drawing or painting as a fresh opportunity for invention, with a distinct way of problem-solving that consistently revealed itself through my creative expression.

Artistic creativity is an itch I must scratch. Even during fallow years, I continue to draw and paint, driven by a force that ebbs and flows but never disappears. I paint because I have to. Life may attempt to hem me in or pull my attention elsewhere, but the need to create, to observe, to translate what is seen and felt, always remains.

I am deeply grateful to have a place to share this energy. For over thirty years, Mango Tango has welcomed and shared the fruits of my creative labor. I am especially thankful to Jane, who introduced me to so many kindred spirits, including Smokey, Larry, Ethel, Cynthiana, and countless fellow artistic travelers, even Jamesie and the Kafooners, whose influence still hums quietly beneath the surface of my work.