Painter
Alma Thomas
Alma Thomas was an American painter who didn't start painting full-time until she retired from teaching school, in her 70s! She created joyful, mosaic-like paintings made of small dabs and dashes of color arranged in rings, arcs, and patterns. She was inspired by her garden, the changing seasons, and even watching the Apollo moon launches on TV! She was the first Black woman to have a solo show at the Whitney Museum, and her paintings hang in the White House.
Artwork to Display
Kids' Books
United States Government, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Artwork to Display
- Alma's Flower Garden (1968)
- Starry Night and the Astronauts (1972)
- Red Azaleas Singing and Dancing Rock and Roll Music (1976)
- A Fantastic Sunset (1970)
Kids' Books
- Ablaze with Color: A Story of Painter Alma Thomas by Jeanne Walker Harvey, illustrated by Loveis Wise
- Liftoff! How the Apollo Moon Missions Made Alma Thomas's Art Soar Nina Crews, Illustrated by Nina Crews
United States Government, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Inspired by Alma Thomas's vibrant, mosaic-like paintings made of small dabs of color, your learner will build a painting entirely from small marks, no solid coloring allowed!
Supplies
- White cardstock or thick paper
- Tempera paint
- Small brushes, sponges, or even cotton balls
- Pencil for a light sketch
- Cup of water, paper towels
Dollar store finds: paint, cotton balls, sponges, and basic brushes are all dollar store staples.
Steps
- Lightly sketch a simple shape in pencil, This could be a tree, a sun with rings around it, a flower, or just circles inside of circles. Keep it simple and large.
- Start painting using only small dabs, short strokes, or dots. If using a brush, use just the tip with short flicks.
- Follow the shape of what you're painting. If you're filling a circle, let your dabs curve around it. This is what gives Alma Thomas's paintings their swirling energy.
- Leave tiny gaps of white between your dabs. This is important, it makes the colors glow!
- Fill the whole page, including the background, with dabs of color. Background colors can be different from the subject colors.
- Step back when finished and notice: from far away it looks like a whole, glowing image!
- The white gaps are key to getting that Alma Thomas look. If your child wants to fill everything in solid, gently remind them to leave breathing room between marks.
- Alma Thomas loved gardens, seasons, and space. If your child needs inspiration, look out the window or look up photos of the night sky together first.