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. A contemporary American artist known primarily for his impressionistic and realistic landscape paintings, Thomas prefers to work directly from life for its honesty and immediacy, incorporating alla primatechniques practiced by master artists such as Sargent, Sorolla, and Zorn.

“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.”

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

EDUCATION AND ROOTS: Thomas graduated from the Kansas City Art Institute in 1984 and is based in Portland, Oregon. He has been painting observationally outdoors for over three decades.

ARTISTIC FOCUS: He is deeply inspired by how light plays across landscapes, seascapes, and natural elements, and has devoted his career to capturing those atmospheric effects primarily in oil.