Paint Like an Artist: Alma Thomas

Create your very own piece of abstract art inspired by the works of Alma Thomas. Thomas drew inspiration from diverse sources, including music, space exploration, and most of all nature. She developed an abstract style of short brushstrokes that build dynamic, colorful forms on her canvases. Alma Thomas was the first graduate of Howard University’s art department. She then dedicated over three decades to teaching art at Shaw Junior High School in Washington, DC. Photo Credit: Alma Thomas, ca. 1958. Alma Thomas papers, circa 1894-2001. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.