Artist Statement:
"When people view my efforts I want them to see a painting, not a photograph. I want them to experience a surface made alive with color, texture, and the movement of my hand, yet also feel tethered to the reality that gave birth to the work. Up close, I want my surfaces to explode. From a distance, I want them to optically reassemble into a whole. But most of all, I want my audience to appreciate why I prefer to paint from life – and thus discover our common sense of wonder."
– Thomas Jefferson Kitts
Thomas is both inspired and exhilarated by the way light plays across the landscape and he has devoted most of his life to capturing it in oil. He prefers to work directly from life for its honesty and immediacy, incorporating many alla prima techniques developed by 19th century master painters such as Sargent, Sorolla, and Zorn.
Thomas is a signature member of the Laguna Beach Plein Air Painters Association, an Associate Member of the California Art Club, a member the Oil Painters of America, and the American Impressionist Society. He travels extensively and maintains a distinguished exhibition history which has included the Portland Art Museum, the Laguna Art Museum, the Maritime Museum of Curacao, the Academy Museum of Art in Easton, Maryland, the American Impressionist Society, Oil Painters of America’s National & Regional Exhibitions, Arts for the Parks Top 100, and three New York Art Expos.
Thomas has also been featured in several issues of PleinAir Magazine and named as an Artist to Watch by The Informed Collector. He is also a multiple Raymar Art and PleinAir Magazine Salon Finalist. Thomas has also been a guest lecturer at three Plein Air Convention & Expos in Monterey, California.
Thomas's work is widely collected throughout North America.
Abbreviated List of Prestigious Collections:
Maryhill Museum of Art, Washington | permanent collection
Fleischer Museum, Arizona | permanent collection
Kaiser Permanente, Oregon | permanent collection
Mariott Corporation, California | permanent collection
Paul Allen Foundation, Oregon | permanent collection
Portland University Club, Oregon | permanent collection
Select List of Museum Exhibitions (2011 - 2016):
Maryhill Museum of Art, Washington
Laguna Art Museum, California
Maritime Museum of Willemstad, Curacao
Academy Museum of Art, Maryland
Curacao Maritime Museum, Curacao, Caribbean
Additional Awards & Recognitions
2016
Best of Show & Museum Acquisition | Pacific Northwest Plein Air
3rd Place | Cape Ann Plein Air
2015
3rd Place | Easels in Fredrick MD
Honorable Mention, QuickDraw | Easels in Fredrick MD
Honorable Mention | American Impressionist Society
Western Regional Exhibition | Oil Painters of America
Demonstration Artist and Lecturer | 4th Annual Plein Air Convention & Expo
2014
Hamilton Family Foundation Award | Laguna Beach Plein Air Invitational
Demonstration Artist and Lecturer | 3rd Annual Plein Air Convention & Expo
2013
Artist Choice Award | Laguna Beach Plein Air Invitational
QuickDraw Award | Maui Plein Air Painting Invitational
Demonstration Artist and Lecturer | 2nd Annual Plein Air Convention & Expo
2012
Artist in Residency | Portland University Club
National Exhibition | 13th American Society of Impressionists
2nd Place | Los Gatos Plein Air
Raymar Art Competition Finalist
Honorable Mention | 19th Annual Carmel Art Festival
Demonstration Artist and Lecturer | 1st Annual Plein Air Convention & Expo
Raymar Art Competition Finalist
PleinAir Magazine Art Competition Finalist
2011
PleinAir Magazine Art Salon Finalist
National Exhibition | 12th American Society of Impressionists
Best International Artist | Plein Air Curacao
Best New Artist | Plein Air Easton
Raymar Art Competition Finalist
2010 and earlier
Honorable Mention | Telluride Plein Air, Colorado
Carmel Art Festival | 1st Place & Mayor’s Choice, California
Top 100 Artist | Arts for the Parks, National Parks Academy of the Arts, Wyoming
Gold Medal | Art Director’s Club, New York
Silver Medal | Society of Illustrators, New York
Award of Merit | Connecticut Art Director’s Club, Connecticut
Honorable Mention | Society of Publication Designers, New York
Award of Merit | Oregon Art Annual, Oregon
Present and Past Professional Affiliations
Signature Member, Laguna Plein Air Painters Association
Artist Member, American Impressionist Society
Associate Member, California Art Club, California
Artist Member, Oil Painters of America
Associate Member, California Art Club
Instructor, Pacific Northwest College of Art
Artist Member, Society of Illustrators, New York
Art-related Education
Bachelor of Fine Arts, 1984
Kansas City Art Institute,
Kansas City, Missouri
Thomas is a signature member of the Laguna Beach Plein Air Painters Association, an Associate Member of the California Art Club, a member the Oil Painters of America, and the American Impressionist Society. He travels extensively and maintains a distinguished exhibition history which has included the Portland Art Museum, the Laguna Art Museum, the Maritime Museum of Curacao, the Academy Museum of Art in Easton, Maryland, the American Impressionist Society, Oil Painters of America’s National & Regional Exhibitions, Arts for the Parks Top 100, and three New York Art Expos.
Thomas has also been featured in several issues of PleinAir Magazine and named as an Artist to Watch by The Informed Collector. He is also a multiple Raymar Art and PleinAir Magazine Salon Finalist. Thomas has also been a guest lecturer at three Plein Air Convention & Expos in Monterey, California.
Thomas's work is widely collected throughout North America.
Abbreviated List of Prestigious Collections:
Maryhill Museum of Art, Washington | permanent collection
Fleischer Museum, Arizona | permanent collection
Kaiser Permanente, Oregon | permanent collection
Mariott Corporation, California | permanent collection
Paul Allen Foundation, Oregon | permanent collection
Portland University Club, Oregon | permanent collection
Select List of Museum Exhibitions (2011 - 2016):
Maryhill Museum of Art, Washington
Laguna Art Museum, California
Maritime Museum of Willemstad, Curacao
Academy Museum of Art, Maryland
Curacao Maritime Museum, Curacao, Caribbean
Additional Awards & Recognitions
2016
Best of Show & Museum Acquisition | Pacific Northwest Plein Air
3rd Place | Cape Ann Plein Air
2015
3rd Place | Easels in Fredrick MD
Honorable Mention, QuickDraw | Easels in Fredrick MD
Honorable Mention | American Impressionist Society
Western Regional Exhibition | Oil Painters of America
Demonstration Artist and Lecturer | 4th Annual Plein Air Convention & Expo
2014
Hamilton Family Foundation Award | Laguna Beach Plein Air Invitational
Demonstration Artist and Lecturer | 3rd Annual Plein Air Convention & Expo
2013
Artist Choice Award | Laguna Beach Plein Air Invitational
QuickDraw Award | Maui Plein Air Painting Invitational
Demonstration Artist and Lecturer | 2nd Annual Plein Air Convention & Expo
2012
Artist in Residency | Portland University Club
National Exhibition | 13th American Society of Impressionists
2nd Place | Los Gatos Plein Air
Raymar Art Competition Finalist
Honorable Mention | 19th Annual Carmel Art Festival
Demonstration Artist and Lecturer | 1st Annual Plein Air Convention & Expo
Raymar Art Competition Finalist
PleinAir Magazine Art Competition Finalist
2011
PleinAir Magazine Art Salon Finalist
National Exhibition | 12th American Society of Impressionists
Best International Artist | Plein Air Curacao
Best New Artist | Plein Air Easton
Raymar Art Competition Finalist
2010 and earlier
Honorable Mention | Telluride Plein Air, Colorado
Carmel Art Festival | 1st Place & Mayor’s Choice, California
Top 100 Artist | Arts for the Parks, National Parks Academy of the Arts, Wyoming
Gold Medal | Art Director’s Club, New York
Silver Medal | Society of Illustrators, New York
Award of Merit | Connecticut Art Director’s Club, Connecticut
Honorable Mention | Society of Publication Designers, New York
Present and Past Professional Affiliations
Signature Member, Laguna Plein Air Painters Association
Artist Member, American Impressionist Society
Associate Member, California Art Club, California
Artist Member, Oil Painters of America
Associate Member, California Art Club
Instructor, Pacific Northwest College of Art
Artist Member, Society of Illustrators, New York
Art-related Education
Bachelor of Fine Arts, 1984
Kansas City Art Institute,
Kansas City, Missouri
Thomas, painting en plein air in the Columbia Gorge, Oregon
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