Easing in with Colour and Collages: Artist Spotlight on Beth Ann Thomas

About Beth

“My name is Beth Ann Thomas, BA for short. I’m an independent artist working out of my home in Indianapolis, IN. I graduated in 2015 from a small liberal arts school called Covenant College in Tennessee, and shortly after, I began an internship at the arts-focused Harrison Center here in Indy. I’ve worked a few part-time jobs over the last 6 years, but have continuously kept my art practice as the main focus of my career, periodically holding studios at the Harrison Center and 201 Studios through November of 2020. Collage and digital illustration are my mediums of choice, though I still work with oils, gouache, and printmaking to keep my practice fresh. I’ve participated in various group shows throughout the Indianapolis art scene since 2015, completed two murals, and exhibited solo at least once a year since 2017. I continue my practice with the immense support of my husband, Grant, and our adorable cat, Agnes.”

Artist Statement

Based out of Indianapolis, Indiana, I am an independent artist dedicated to creating out of my convictions. My work hinges on weaving together organic language, societal tensions, and human suffering into cerebral works that confront my viewer with strenuous realities. Using multiple mediums to engage my viewer, I focus on asking hard questions through the implementation of visual languages like texture and color, of symbolic imagery relying upon my viewer’s mental archive, and of the literal cutting and pasting of difficult texts onto arrangements of various ephemera. Creating these gritty confrontations is how I process my own womanhood, my humanity, and the world around me. The world is full of suffering, and I aims to amplify that in an effort to encourage awareness, conviction, and change.

Beth Ann’s creative process 

“Rest is an incredibly necessary part of my art practice. I struggle with anxiety and OCD, meaning it’s very easy for me to fixate on a problem or worry and be consumed by it. This can manifest in physical symptoms as well as mental ones. I’ve found that one of the easiest and most effective ways for me to combat this tendency is to build moments of rest into my day that intentionally ground me. Pausing for a phone call with a friend, for a set amount of time away from my work and screens to be outside, or for meditative breathing can all reorient my run-away thoughts, inspire me with new ideas, and bring me back to a productive studio time.”

Recent work on Beth Ann’s #Heartlist

I will not let him win in death by Ali Waller

LOOK AT ME by Bibi Joan

Sonya Clark – many works 

Jenny Saville – many works

Find Beth Ann on: 

Website: baartworks.weebly.com

Instagram: @ba_artworks