Episode 90: Alma Woodsey Thomas: Constructing the Natural World

Black, female painter Alma Woodsey Thomas composed brilliantly fractured abstractions of the natural world around her through painted mosaic patches arranged in concentric circles or stripes. Join me as we hover over a sea of red shapes and forms in the painting “Red Azaleas Jubilee.” (1976)

Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose 1885-6 John Singer Sargent 1856-1925
Alma Woodsey Thomas, “Red Azaleas Jubilee,” acrylic on canvas, Wadsworth Atheneum
Highlighted in this episode is an insightful passage about gardens from author Melina Rudman. 🙂

Resources for this episode include Wadsworth Atheneum, Tate Museum, Studio Museum the poet Mary Oliver from her book, Upstream: Selected Essays, and author Melina Rudman, from her book, Sacred Soil: A Gardner’s Book of Reflections.