Color Study: Tribute to Alma W. Thomas

As a fabric artist, I accepted the challenge to nominate Alma W. Thomas as a part of the HERstory project to create a fabric collage to recognize and pay tribute to her and her work.

Thomas was a 20th century African-American woman artist. She painted vivid, colorful and often playful canvases.

As an artist, I am committed to play with color and composition and to create original pieces not on canvas, but with fabrics and thread.

I used bold color fabrics to create a simulation of paint on canvas and attempted a color vibration that was vital to what her work revealed to me.

What I saw in Thomas’ work gave me not only inspiration but a GO signal to pursue my goal as an artist.

I have exhibited many times and have been invited to display my work and have taken on commissions. My collages have entered many places, but I feel I have only just begun.

I will continue to study color, focus on design and create thoughtful and playful work.

Thomas was the first African-American woman artist to have a solo exhibition at the Whitney Museum of American Art (1972).

Cotton fabrics, cotton batting and a fusible adhesive.