July - Week 2

Written 14/07/2025, Updated 15/07/2025

Sketches based on her work

Since Alma Thomas's paintings were abstract, with less defined 'shapes' and were heavily focused on the colours I did something slightly different and I did mini copies of her paintings in felt tip rather than 'sketching' them per se like I normally do (besides her March on Washington, but that was an exception in this case).

Entire page composed of felt tip copies of Alma Thomas's Eclipse, Atmospheric Effects, March on Washington, Blast Off, Tiptoe Through Tulips and Watusi Hard Edge

I think that this approach helped me appreciate how dense in colour her work really is as well as her use of directions to draw the eye. As I noted down in the drawing:

Her work has a lot of bright colours
There is some "overlap" of blocks/squares/mosaics
Her art is very "directional" (the squares/lines "point" in a certain way the eye follows)
The size of the mosaic squares is all different
Sometimes her mosaics utilise a more solid block of colour for effect
Her focal point will have denser squares to show a more saturated colour
Asymmetry is VERY common in her work
Her work is abstract impressions (but I suppose this was obvious already)

Specific artwork I will be focusing on

Apollo "12 Splash Down", 1970.

A warm coloured background with a dark blue mountain shape in the foreground with a green sliver through it

Why this one?

I will admit, I saw this painting while looking through Alma's work and it immediately inspired me. I live in the Welsh valleys so there are a lot of hills all around me and this picture in particular really made me think of my home. So I want to take this painting and use it as inspiration to represent my home. I'm not even sure if she intended for it to be a mountain, but that was what I saw in it so it's what I will be taking from it :)

Sketches based on specific artwork

This month, I decided to focus on the colour aspect of the piece and do a copy with felt tip and then do a painted copy with acrylic paint.

A felt tip copy and a painted copy of Alma Thoams's Apollo 12 Splash Down painting

As you can see, I very much underestimated how close her squares really are from eachother - they are very tightly packed! But I also neglected to truly consider the shape of her subject. Alma Thomas would draw her backgrounds before applying paint which I hadn't considered necessary if I'm just copying the abstract paintings surely? Well I was wrong! The shape matters a LOT!

I also didn't have enough colour variation, which gives her pieces so much visual flair and interest (but I was doing this relatively quickly to be fair).

Something else I neglected to really consider was that she had consistend straight lines with the shapes coming from the colours whereas I started with the shapes and not the lines which made my copy look a lot 'messier' than her original. (Also reddish purple is SO HARD to mix well, at least with my crappy acrylic paint!)

This is all stuff I shall be considering over the next few weeks!