Made in Jamaica | Painting unexpected dreams

Some of us do not recognise our talent until we are encouraged. All Alicia 'aMarie' Thomas needed was a friend to give her the tools she needed and one demand - paint - for her to connect with the light within.

As a child, Thomas had a love for drawing. But this was a childhood hobby and not quite a passion. She garnered no formal training in the art. Instead, she earned a bachelor's degree in mathematics and business; as well as a master's in finance. Art was not in the plans until a friend of hers in college introduced her to painting.

"She provided me with all I needed and said, 'just paint', so I did just that and created my first abstract piece," Thomas told Outlook. It was as if this opened a new window into her soul.

It was like a caterpillar effect; slowly she came into her own. In 2012 when a friend bought her first home, she asked Thomas to do a piece for her. Thomas later posted a picture of her creation on social media and that is when she realised her wings were ready and she became 'aMarie' - which is a combination of her first initial and her middle name. People started to reach out to her and she sold her first piece - an abstract horse - to a veterinarian. As time went on, demand increased and she could not hide the fact that she really enjoyed painting.

Painting had become somewhat therapeutic for aMarie. It was something that she looked forward to doing after a long day at work.

"Painting is like a dance, it has to flow effortlessly and naturally, and it does, allowing me to lose myself and connect to the creative flow. When I do that, my hand paints as if by itself," she told Outlook.

There is no question why she chose abstract art. With it, she gets to be expressive through colour. She can be inspired by almost anything and she sometimes uses distortions to portray human emotions and passions. This could be why her favourite painting is one she calls 'Viscerous'. This is an abstract image of a face with different colours depicting aMarie's personal emotional state at the time of painting the image.

Being a natural businesswoman, when it came to art, she did not only think canvas. She wanted her work to be multidimensional, reaching as many persons as possible. She had her work placed on everyday items including rugs, paperweights, handbag holders, cellular phone cases, cardholders, notepads, and pens.

There is still some way to go as she is working on having some of her work printed on clothing items.

While she never expected it, she has found a new love and a new passion. She said that if she could give young persons advice, it would be to never give up on their passion.

Alicia "aMarie" Thomas

Contact: 276-7196/808-9993

Address: The Hub

34 Lady Musgrave Road,

Kingston 5

Instagram: @amarieartja

Facebook: A Marie Art

Email: alicia_thomas@hotmail.com