Elizabeth Thompson has spent most of last year living what she teaches: art.

She is one of three members of the Residency at the Museum cohort. RATM annually supports three artists by giving them a workspace and a monthly stipend. During the residency, the artists create a collection that is displayed in the Imperial Calcasieu Museum.

The opportunity gave Thompson an ecosystem ideal for creation.

“Before the residency, I was teaching art more than I was creating art,” she said. “My art would take me months to finish and was just propped up throughout the house.”

She was encouraged by friend and fellow resident Robbie Austin to pursue the program. With his prodding, Thompson began making art to apply to the residency program.

“I saw information about the residency the first year they offered it, but I hesitated to apply because I hadn’t really been creating art steadily and didn’t feel prepared,” she said. “(Austin) encouraged me to apply, and it just finally seemed like the right time.”

Artistic pursuit and exploration became possible with the support of ICM and her cohorts, she said.

“I started to find my artistic voice again and remembered why art was always so important to me,” Thompson said. “The growth that took place over the last nine months almost certainly would not have happened without the residency and the other artists in the cohort.”

Thompson is a photographer, painter and textile artist. For her residency, she created pieces using sewing thread on canvas or other fabrics. The exploration of this medium was motivated by a mission to “create dimension with a simple line.”

“I loved how the thread would catch the light or throw shadows and change the piece depending on where you are standing or where the light was coming from,” she explained. “As I continued to create, I realized that the shapes and colors also played a role in creating dimension.”

Viewers of her work will observe geometric shapes manifested from bright-colored lines and are invited to experience them from different angles.

Thompson said she was drawn to the art life because she is drawn to art people. Luckily she was reared by a family of creatives who introduced her to the merits of artistry.

“I think ultimately what draws me to the life of an artist is the joy and light it brings,” she said. “When I am not creating, something is missing from my life.”

Her experience during the residency magnified her knowledge and love of the Southwest Louisiana arts community. Through the months she did more than create a unique body of work. She also participated in several community events, expanded her network of peers and witnessed the region’s support of the arts.

“Having a healthy art community breathes life into a place,” Thompson said. “Whether they are the artist or the viewer, people feel connected by art. Because art can take many different forms and communicate so many different things, there is something for everyone.”

The exhibition “Residency at the Museum: Cohort Two” will be open at ICM, 204 W. Sallier St., until March 8.