Learners in Horizon Key Stage 4 have spent this half term studying the work of Alma Thomas, an American abstract painter known for her bright, mosaic-style paintings.

Alma Thomas was born in Georgia in 1891. She taught art to young people in Washington, D.C. for 35 years and only painted full time after she retired. In 1972, aged 80, she became the first African American woman to hold a solo exhibition at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York.

Her paintings use short dabs of colour laid side by side. From a distance, the dabs look like tiles in a mosaic. She took ideas from the flowers in her garden, the trees outside her window and the first moon landings.

Learners studied her paintings closely. They talked about the colours they liked and the patterns they spotted.

Then came the hands-on part. Each learner painted uncooked lasagne sheets in colours of their own choosing. Once the paint dried, they snapped the sheets into small pieces and arranged the pieces into their own mosaic designs.

The project gave learners the chance to build fine motor skills as they painted, broke and placed each piece. Learners made choices about colour, shape and layout at every stage, so every finished piece looks different.

Da iawn, Horizon Key Stage 4.

Alma Thomas showed the world you are never too old to find your style. Our learners showed you never need a canvas.