“20yrs career in the U.S. Navy. I am a self-taught artist, raised in the heart of N.C.Durham’s South Side, where my love for painting first sparked with a childhood paint-by-numbers set. That joy turned into a lifelong God gifted talent for me to tell stories, preserve memories and give a voice to stories that are often overlooked.
My art is rooted in folk tradition, but it is also deeply personal. I work primarily in oil, blending other materials like acrylic, pastel, moss and other added texture and life to my paintings.”
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Thomas’ work has been showcased at renowned venues such as Gallery Ukwensi in Ghent, Art Central in Hampton and The Virginia Beach Art Center, where he earned multiple awards in 2024.
In 2023, ‘HBCU HIGH STEPPIN’ honoring the legacy of HBCU marching bands, was featured at the Virginia Executive Mansion as part of ‘The Art Experience’.
Thomas contributed a suite of jazz-inspired painting to benefit the Jazz Legacy Foundation, supporting high school music programs in 2017.
