Viewing page 58 of 58

This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.

undulating primary colors that seem to be generated from beyond the picture plane, dancing into the third dimension. The regenerative powers of Spring Fantasy reveals a fine distinction in the subtlety and complexity of variation. Although the muted colors in the painting lack the drama and passion characteristic of later works, Spring Fantasy recites the transcendent wonders of nature with the sophisticated manipulation of black, gray and pastel tones.

Watercolors and its fluidity gave Alma Thomas more freedom of expression and it allowed her to replace oils with acrylics, and to seek a more ambitious representation of color that she observed in nature. By the mid- to late 1960s, Thomas's artistry evolved into a structured system of color applications manifested in stripes and circles, a fresh new direction for the remainder of her career. But the formative years spent at her Grandfather Cantey's [[strikethrough]]farm[[/strikethrough]] Plantation where nature made and indelible mark, and the gardens cultivated by her mother, Amelia Thomas, & father John H., in their Washington residence, planted the germinal seeds that decades later would add a distinct and [[strikethrough]]undeniable[[/strikethrough]] colorful voice to American art. She had come full circle in the recognition that nature was an important factor in her life and hence the crucible in her artistry.

Tritobia Hayes Benjamin, Ph.D.
Washington, D.C.

24