Self-taught, Alain Thomas began his career at the age of 20. In 1963, he presented his first exhibition in Nantes. He has illustrated over the course of his career twenty books including several bestiaries, bibliophile books such as Marco Polo (1987) and children's stories such as Snow Spring (1987). Some creations on paper like that of Toucan (2002) and Aras Macao (2004) also decorate the supports of numerous collections on porcelain of Limoges, bristles of Lyon, enamels of Longwy, tapestries of Aubusson, illuminations, etc.

He begins by painting sad and rigid characters with fairly undifferentiated faces in the image of the Saltimbanque (1965). As the faces of the circus clown Bocki of Circus Francky (1963) and the baladins (1964) emphasize, his characters always have the sad look and the frozen smile. They occupy almost the entire picture and do not provide an unobstructed perspective. Until 1967, the funds of most of his works are virtually nonexistent and only give a glimpse of timid uniform colors often falling vertically. These elements are also found in the loneliness chart (1964).

Influenced by the blue and pink period of Picasso as evidenced by the mime and the Vahine (1965), Alain Thomas pays him a homage to Pablo (1965) by representing him from the front on a background where we find the cubist period of the famous Spanish artist.

In 1968, Alain Thomas knows two things in his life that will allow him to flourish: he stops his job of confectioner chocolatier to devote himself fully to painting and to getting married.

The development of these new backgrounds composed of birds, flowers, landscapes has the effect of softening the impassivity of the characters who continue to offer the same melancholy face, the same candid black eyes.
It is from 1968 that Alain Thomas abandons his constructions-portraits centered on one or two characters. The background of the painting, the perspective, the depth of field now open on green landscapes populated by fantastic animals such as the unicorn located alongside Irun (1968). From 1968 to 1979, it asserts itself in this way with the dream ship (1969), the time of metamorphoses (1970), the tree-flowers (1979) and Graziella, princess of the elves (1972).

From the 1980s, the portrait put, close up, disappears little by little. Animals, and characters multiply to integrate into their environment. The paintings stand out for their diversity of themes such as the cycle of the seasons, fairyland, the Orient, Russia and the bestiary.

The compositions treated are Russian Winter Scene (1983), Spring Bouquet (2002), Sultan, Scheherazade and Dinarzade (1985), Animated Oriental Scene (1997) or Sultane Garland (1987), Winter Night Landscape with Three Monks (2004) , exotic birds (2003), hot air balloon Gerda (1991), animal concerto (1998).


Source:
Wikipedia, Google Translate, 2019