Joanna Vespia, "Portrait of Alma Thomas"

Joanna Vespia chose to feature Alma Thomas, who emerged in the 1960s as an exuberant colorist, abstracting shapes and patterns from the natural world around her, particularly trees and flowers. Her eventual palette and technique—considerably lighter and looser than in her earlier representational works and dark abstractions—reflected her long study of color theory and the watercolor medium. Thomas became an important role model for women, African Americans, and older artists. She was the first African American woman to have a solo exhibition at New York’s Whitney Museum of American Art. Vespia chose to show the artist active in her craft and rendered in monochrome as a foil to the rainbow spectrum of colors featured in her artwork.

“Through color, I have sought to concentrate on beauty and happiness, rather than on man's inhumanity to man.” - Alma Thomas

About the artist:

Joanna Vespia is a Rhode Island artist with strong connections to the local art and music scene. She maintains a focus on realism and nature in her works. Her technical command of both brush and spray paint media are hallmarks of her practice and strongly evidenced in her piece for this project.

Material: C2 Paint, Montana Gold Spray Paint

Artist IG: @joannavespia_ismyname

Sponsors and Partners: ZDS inc.

~TAKE A CLOSER LOOK~

What is the subject doing?

What do the varying color schemes in the image signify to you?

How does the portrait make you feel?