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Color Patterns

Alma Thomas was inspired by music and nature to create colorful paintings. Students will explore her life and work and create artwork in her style.

Lesson Plan

Supplies Needed

Gather all the supplies needed to bring your craft ideas to life! From paints and markers to glue and scissors, our crafts section has everything to spark creativity and make every project truly special.

  • Paper
  • Recycled Materials

Steps

  • Step 1

    Alma Thomas (1891-1978) was an African American artist known for her use of color and images that seem to dance on the canvas. In 1924 she was the first graduate of the Department of Art at Howard University and was an art educator for 35 years. Upon retirement she devoted more time to painting and became a professional artist. In 2015, her piece "Resurrection" (1966) became the first piece of artwork by a Black woman to hang in a public space in the White House and enter the permanent collection. Have students learn about her life and work. What is her artistic style? How was she involved in the establishment of first successful Black-owned private art gallery in the United States? What are "Alma's Stripes"?

  • Step 2

    Have students create artwork in the style of Alma Thomas. They can choose to draw on paper or fabric, using regular crayons or fabric markers. Encourage them to use colorful geometric shapes that might evoke themes of nature and dancing patterns.

  • Step 3

    Have students present their work and talk about the process they used to portray the patterns in nature.

Standards

ARTS: Speculate about processes an artist uses to create a work of art. 

ARTS: Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work.  

MATH: Analyze, compare, create, and compose math ideas using written, oral, and drawn lines, shapes, forms, and patterns.  

Adaptations

Alma Thomas had a great interest in the space program and created several works of art based on it. Have students look at some of these works, such as "Atmospheric Effects I," "Blast Off," "The Eclipse," and "Apollo 12 Splash Down," all painted in 1970. Challenge students to create an original work based on a current space mission.

Alma Thomas often listened to music while she painted. She even created a special mixtape to inspire her in her studio. Have students create artwork while listening to various pieces of music. How does the style influence their art? Does their technique change as the tempo gets slower or faster?