Who is Dalmatian Nation?

Angela Thompson was born and raised in Ontario, Canada, in an environment that was anything but ordinary.

Growing up inside a tattoo parlor gave me an early glimpse into a world of self-expression, bold imagery, and unapologetic creativity. I was surrounded by body art, buzzing needles, and people who wore their stories on their skin.

That experience shaped my love for visual storytelling and definitely helped fuel my desire to become a photographer and collage artist later on.

Art has always been a way for me to process the world.

Photography gave me the power to freeze emotion, chaos, and beauty in a single frame.Collage art let me break things apart and reassemble them into something meaningful.

But even with those mediums, I always felt like I was only scratching the surface of what I wanted to express.

There were strange, surreal, even slightly twisted ideas in my head that I didn’t know how to bring to life—until I discovered A.I.

In 2022, I fell down the rabbit hole of A.I.-generated art, and I haven’t looked back.
The moment I started experimenting with prompts, patterns, and surreal imagery, something clicked.

A.I. became the ultimate playground for my imagination. It gave me a way to translate my weirdest, darkest, most dreamlike ideas into tangible art pieces.

It was freeing in a way I'd never experienced before-and honestly, it saved me a little.

Like so many people, I’ve had my share of struggles with mental health. There were times when things felt overwhelming and creativity felt far away.

But A.I. art offered a new kind of outlet.

It gave me a reason to sit down and create something each day, even if I didn’t feel like doing much else.

A.I. helped me externalize the chaos, find beauty in the strange and reconnect with my creative voice.

 

That alone has made the journey worth it.

So… why the name Dalmatian Nation?

That’s all thanks to my rescue dog, Budson—a sweet, stubborn Dalmatian with spots for days and a personality that’s just as unique as the art I make. When I first started playing with A.I. tools, almost every image I made had a Dalmatian pattern in it. It became a kind of signature, an unexpected muse that kept showing up whether I planned it or not. Budson is still by my side every day, often judging my creative choices from the couch.

Dalmatian Nation has evolved a lot since then. While the black-and-white spots aren’t in every piece anymore, the rebellious, playful, and slightly offbeat spirit is still baked into everything I make. Now I create weird, vintage-style, horror-tinged art that’s printed on everything from posters and canvases to stickers, cards, and t-shirts. I collaborate with other artists, experiment with styles, and continue learning what’s possible in this strange, exciting world of A.I.

If you’ve ever felt like you don’t quite fit the mould, this space is for you.
I hope Dalmatian Nation makes you feel a little more seen—and inspires you to embrace the weird, wonderful mess that is creativity.

We've got lots of merch for all you lovers of weird & twisted art

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