Rise Up: 1.2m x 1.2m oil on museum grade canvas
Artists' Statement
“Rise Up” portrays a short fable of breaking free from your problems, reaching beyond your comfort zone, and discovering something wonderful, which enables you to put your troubles into perspective as the bigger picture unfolds before you.
"From their home in a little village, gripped by jagged rock face, engulfed in what seems never ending cloud, and with no apparent means of escape, the couple are drawn by a distant orange glow, high up on the rock face across the fjord. One day they muster up the courage, break free of their melancholy, and venture out to locate the source of the orange glow. Climbing higher and higher, they go beyond their initial quest and find themselves stepping out onto a cliff ledge, high above the cloud where they are welcomed by a magnificent glowing orange moon. They have finally escaped their once overwhelming problems and are now free to absorb the clarity and the energy of the night sky along with their loyal canine companion." Dave Thomas
Earlier this year I was kindly invited to exhibit a piece of artwork with Curator HongLee at the Focus Art Fair to be held in the Saatchi gallery in London. The title theme was "Serendipity" and my mind immediately started overflowing with so many ideas as I wanted to create a new and unique piece for this event, one which would make a real statement.
Reflecting on the last 12 months, I decided to create something which truly relates to the journey of change so many people from all over the globe have travelled. That journey could be as a result of the pandemic, or maybe a personal challenge. So the concept of "Rise Up" was born.
My vision for this piece was to have a dark monochrome backdrop with the bright colour tones highlighting only the positive features of the painting, like allowing the light to guide you through the darkness. I can't begin to tell you how many times I changed the composition, colour tones and structure of this piece along the journey, it was so important to me that the finished painting truly captured and told the story visually. The magical element of this piece sits with the light source. With the right lighting, the high pigments in the Rembrandt oils will react with the light source and amplify these elements to truly "pop".
For me, the journey of creating each piece of artwork can be likened to our journeys in life, where we set ourselves goals, then something inevitably comes along and shakes everything up, or things simply wander off course. I used to dread making changes to a painting once I'd started it for fear of ruining it. Now, I embrace these occasions when they arise, as in that moment, I know I am pushing my own boundaries, and I am on the right path to create something wonderful and unique.
Thank you for taking the time to stop by and I hope you enjoy the artwork.
Dave
