Presidential Art

In honor of this week’s Presidents’ Day holiday, I thought it would be appropriate to showcase an artist who likes to feature recent American presidents in his art. Andy Thomas comes to mind.

Callin' the Blue by Andy Thomas

It appears that the game is on and Honest Abe is "Callin' the Blue." These Republican presidents are enjoying each other's company as our great nation's first president's portrait casts his spirit over them. And, from looking at the other painting on the wall, these historic figures have played this game together before. Can you name all the presidents in this image?

Callin' the Red by Andy Thomas

Not to be out-done, the Democrats in “Callin’ the Red” seem to be thoroughly enjoying Andrew Jackson’s tales. The painting within the painting depicts the same group at another occasion. Both these pieces would be ideal to test a young American history student and stir up memories of anyone who can remember the years these men held the highest office in the land.

Change by Andy Thomas

In “Change” it may seem that Andy has chosen to commemorate the historic election of American’s first black president. While that is certainly true, it is not the whole story. Look closely. Or, better yet, read what the artist himself says about his painting in the description on our site by clicking the link under the image.

Andy Thomas is not only an immensely talented painter, but also a storyteller through his art. His subject matter consists of a variety of images from historical events to intimate moments of everyday life. The artist’s desire to create is funneled into the area of painting realism that ranges from very loose to very tight. His medium is primarily oil, but he also works in watercolor, pen and ink, charcoal, pencil and ink wash. He is also an accomplished sculptor.

Primarily self-taught, Thomas began his professional art career in 1991 after sixteen years with a major advertising agency. His style has been compared to Russell and Remington, and the artist says he also has been influenced by Howard Pyle, Richard Schmid, Norman Rockwell, and others. In his studio, the artist creates his unique paintings that tell their "stories.” Thomas says, "I never consciously ponder elements of design or principals of design…I rely on my sketches to refine a value scheme as a starting point. They also help me visualize the completed painting and consider light, painting technique, subject or object importance, and other considerations. The viewer’s eye-path is a big influence on the composition at this point and all through the painting process.”

Find these and more historical art at GalleryOne.com!