Thomas Jefferson Kitts

"When people view my work I want them to see a painting, not a photograph. I want them to experience a surface made alive with color, texture, and the movement of my hand, yet also feel a connection to the reality that gave birth to the work. Up close, I want the painting to explode. From a distance, I want it to optically re-assemble into a whole. But most of all, I want you, the viewer, to appreciate why I prefer to paint from life – and thus discover a common sense of wonder." – TJK

Thomas Jefferson Kitts is inspired by the way light plays across his subjects and has devoted most of his life to traveling and capturing it in oil. Thomas prefers to work directly from life for its honesty and immediacy, incorporating many alla prima techniques developed by master artists such as Sargent, Sorolla, and Zorn. 

Thomas has painted observationally, en plein air, for more than 33 years, first starting out in 1984 after graduating from the Kansas City Art Institute.