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| Andy Thomas |
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Andy Thomas Grand ol' Gang and True Blues are truly the most exciting project that Andy Thomas has worked on. It took weeks and piles of research material just to begin the paintings. Countless sketches of presidents and layouts were done to come up with the originals. With these two paintings Andy has captured the spirit and likeness of some of our nations greatest presidents. You can just hear the muttering between them as they play a friendly game of poker. Again, the creative side put them in the back ground of the convention centers of years ago and if you look closely you will find various items that were related to them, each in their own way. Many call Andy Thomas the "Storyteller" and if you have ever had a chance to view his work you might just agree. Currently he is telling many stories with his action filled western art. These pieces are bringing the cowboys back to life as well as the American West history. In the past, Andy has painted many subjects from a picnic by the river, kids playing sports to a brutal bear fight. All of his paintings end up telling you, the viewer, some kind of story of our lives. Westerns I am pretty confident that this action shoot em' up western will holds it's own on the auction block. Not too many of today's artists can bring to you the breath, sweat and intensity of the old west as Andy does. I guess that you would have to pay a premium price to own a classic Russell to compare to Andy's work. Now that is a pretty nice comparison. Not to mention that Andy's auction piece at the CM Russell auction in March sold for $180,000. This set a record for the show as the highest price paid for any artist other than Russell! This was another unique painting that Andy not only captured a fine portrait of Charlie Russell himself but the characters that he used in many of his paintings. Charlie Russell and his Characters was an ingenious painting by Andy. Another aspect of his unique abilities. SOLD! Well, that was a WOW factor! Bad Whiskey sold for $110,000 at the Coeur D'Alene Art Auction. WOW! That was all we could say. The auction itself bustled with people looking, thinking and examining the paintings. We met many of you that we didn't know before and it was really exciting. I stayed near Bad Whiskey to answer any questions and there were so many wonderful comments about Andy's abilities as a painter. It was great to hear them. The entire auction was astounding and we are thankful to have been invited to participate. Prairie Grove State Battlefield in Arkansas unveiled its new oil painting that Andy has completed for the park. It is later in the day on the west end of the battle. They came like demons had a print release date of December 6th. The park had a tremendous turn out for the unveiling and the re-enactment. Thanks to all that came by to say hello. Andy's professional art career began in the fall of 1991 after sixteen years with Leggett & Platt, Inc. He has worked full time from his studio in Carthage Missouri to create his unique oil paintings that many private and corporate collectors throughout the nation have purchased. In addition, many national parks have his original oils that document their battles such as Pea Ridge and Prairie Grove Arkansas and Wilson 's Creek, Missouri. Let us not forget the large mural of the Battle of Carthage that hangs in the Civil War Museum off the square in Carthage, Missouri. If you are interested in purchasing an original oil please contact Mark at the gallery. General Information You can find his work in magazine articles (recently Western Art Collector), National Park Service brochures, and educational books by the Franklin Watts Children Press, Harcourt and others. He has also illustrated books and his images have been used on many book covers. The hardback book titled The Artful Journey contains over one hundred color images of his work and many include their stories that were mostly written by Thomas. It is available through his studio. In addition to books Andy's work can be found in videos produced by the NPS, US Federal Claims Court and National Geographic. During the years Andy has judged art shows and given art lessons to both children and adults. He had the honor of being the Artist in Residence at Navarro College in Corsicana , Texas where lectured and gave painting demonstrations to college students and the general public. His work has won numerous awards and he participates in many shows and exhibitions throughout the country. Some are the CM Russell Art Auction, International Masters of Fine Art Show, Salon International Show, Midwest Gathering of Artists, Settlers West Show and others. He is represented by Greenhouse Gallery of San Antonio Texas. The Pearce Western Art Museum, and the Iowa State Historical Museum are a few of the museums that have his artwork displayed as part of their permanent collections. Also corporations such as Leggett & Platt, Inc., Stanton Partners Inc., Lathrop & Gage, Hometown Bank and Healthpoint Limited are owners of originals. Additionally, Andy is a non-resident artist member of the famed Salmagundi Club in New York, The Portrait Society of America and other art organizations. Andy graduated Magna Cum Laude from MSSU and is married to Dina who is also his business partner. They reside in Carthage and have six children and eight grandchildren. StatsFull Name: Nickname: Birthdate: Residence: Education: Artistic Influences: Styles: Techniques: Discipline: Medium: Subject: Statement of purpose: Periodicals/ Books where art has been featured: Self-published book: Exhibition:
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