Alma Thomas's Painting Tools

mid 20th Century

This collection of paintbrushes and painting tools used by Alma Thomas includes a reed pen, palette and painting knives for mixing and applying paint, and natural bristle brushes. The paint splotches caked on the handles evidences their heavy use. Thomas sought inspiration from the city of Washington in her work, and was known to frequent the National Arboretum and the Jefferson and Lincoln Memorials. These painting tools helped Thomas transform her impressions of the world around her into the colorful, fragmented abstract works of art for which she is best known.