SPRING 2009

English Professor Recognized for lifetime achievement in Art

By Aimee Madden

Fourteen years ago George Thomason picked up a brush, dipped it in paint, and, one stroke at a time, began to cultivate his natural talent for art. Since then, his aptitude as an artist has bloomed and recognition from the local community has grown right along with it. So much so that in October, Mr. Thomason received the Rome Area Council for the Art’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

A 20-plus year veteran of the interior design business, Mr. Thomason was encouraged by his mentor to start painting. “She actually advised me to not take lessons and just draw from my experience in the design business,” Mr. Thomason said. “Dale told me, ‘All you have to do is teach your hand to do what your brain already knows how to do.’”

Working in oils and creating mostly landscapes, Mr. Thomason enjoys painting in his home studio, located just down the road from where he teaches English and serves as chairman of Shorter’s Humanities Department. (He is retiring from Shorter in July.)

As an artist, Mr. Thomason has been given the chance to display his works for the public many times. His work was featured in RACA’s premiere exhibit in a 1994 one-man show titled “The Poetry of Paint.” RACA again featured his work alongside that of Shorter alumna Barbara Brown Briley in a 1996 exhibit titled “Two Views.” Two other shows followed in 1998. The first was a solo show at the RACA gallery called “Romantic Landscapes.” The second, held at the Skellenger Gallery in Cedartown, was an expanded version of the first.

George Thomason at home surrounded by his works of art.

He was selected as the feature artist for the American Cancer Society’s Hope Gala, and in 2002, he was asked to be the feature artist at RACA’s seventh annual Fanfare event. Most recently, Mr. Thomason held a show at Shorter’s Arnold Gallery, which featured his favorite paintings on loan from various collectors. His work has been also highlighted in shows in Atlanta and Birmingham.

RACA Director Rebecca Koontz applauded Mr. Thomason’s devotion to the local art community. “The RACA board chose George because not only is he a painter and professor, but because of his involvement in design as well. He has given a lifetime of support from the arts, and that’s what this award represents,” Ms. Koontz said. “His artwork resembles an impressionistic style. Impressionists painted from the heart, and that to me is the way he paints – from the heart.”