Dave Thomas — Contemporary Art Curator Magazine

May 5

May 5 Dave Thomas

Biography

Whether it’s the hours of research which follows a fragment of an idea, exploring and testing different techniques, seeing the idea build into reality, or the music he listens to when painting. As a self-taught artist based in the Bedfordshire countryside, Dave’s passion comes from the sense of escapism and tranquility that surrounds him when he creates each piece of artwork. The crowning glory for Dave is when someone is emotionally moved by his artwork, this is a huge motivation for him and fuels his creative journey all the more.
Dave has successfully exhibited a wide range of his artwork in a number of prominent international exhibitions and is a member of the Fine Art Trade Guild.

Artist Statement

Dave’s artwork explores the relationship between figurative/abstract techniques and the balance between vibrant colours and monochrome tones: “My paintings are all about emotion, light /shadow and capturing "the moment". I strive to blend abstract and loose realism to create a piece that provokes thought and reflection of memories or aspirations in the eye of the beholder. Each time I look at a piece I have created I can always recall a soundtrack I have listened to which helped shape the artwork’s direction.... a bit like having my own playlist in paint.” Dave Thomas
Mediums

They say you should never cook with wine that you wouldn't drink. Dave feels the same way about the artwork (he also enjoys fine wine), hence he only uses high-quality mediums.
“Oil: I use Rembrandt as they have intense luminosity and depth, along with the highest possible concentration of pigments. This makes for vibrant tones where the mood of the painting can change based on the light source.” Dave Thomas “Acrylic: I use Atelier Interactive as they offer exceptional pigment loading, lightfastness and have a velvety satin finish. As with the Rembrandt oils, the high pigmentation results in vibrant and moody tones.” Dave Thomas

What first prompted you to think of becoming an artist?

Creativity has always been my companion in life and has served me well throughout my professional career. I guess “the prompt” was when my dog (Dee) reached her autumn years and became terminally ill. It was then that I turned to art as a hobby in order to take care of her, and to channel and express my emotions into something visual. Over time, drawings turned into paintings, paintings turned into fine art, and the hobby became so much more. January 2020, I took a leap of faith to step away from a full-time career and make a dream become a reality.

What kind of an artist do you ultimately see yourself?

My art journey so far has been an utterly amazing experience. In addition to multiple commissions and creating a wide range of artwork, I have exhibited my work in numerous international exhibitions with more lined up for 2021 (the show must go on). Also, I have had the pleasure of meeting and forming friendships with other international artists and curators. I absolutely love the diversity in artwork which captures the “in the moment” emotion and passion of the protagonist, married with an abstract style. These values sit at the core of every piece I create, so ultimately, whether I remain a freelance artist or become published, my artwork will continue to evolve with a contemporary surrealism theme.

What are you hoping to communicate to the viewer through your work?

I believe the viewer will always see what they want to see in the artwork, and what they see depends on where their headspace is at that moment in time (the same is true for me). My artwork is predominantly monochrome with a highlight of colour (often red), which draws the viewer into that area of the painting (a bit like a torch in the darkness). The message I strive to communicate differs with each piece I create (probably due to where my own headspace is at that moment in time).

Can you explain the process of creating your work?

My process is quite fluid as I love pushing my own boundaries with each piece I create, which results in a wider spectrum of artwork styles. However, my creation process is straight forward in structure: Conception: One thing I am never short of is ideas. I often find myself working on a piece whilst new ideas form in my head. Equally, I find inspiration for new ideas all around me in everyday life. My mind has a door that is always open. The challenge for me is landing the ones which I can work with.

Draft: When transforming an idea into a design, I utilise Procreate as a tool to create a digital sketch of a piece. This allows me to build ideas in layers which makes enhancements and changes to the initial design quick and easy. This method also helps to visualise the build when starting the actual artwork.

Composition: By this stage, I have the draft design laid out and ready, however, I work on many different canvas sizes depending on the piece in question. So, this stage for me is about making any composition and / or colour pallet adjustments. AARRGGGHHH. Every piece I create, I always reach a point where I want to throw it away! This is a good thing, as I love trying different techniques and pushing my own boundaries. Sometimes, I need to simply park the piece up for a while and let the solution come when its ready, or work through it. Either way, the magic really happens after this stage as often the artwork will head in a different direction to what was originally planned, and that is ok. Completion. This stage always leaves me with mixed emotions as on one hand, there is the excitement of choosing the right frame for the piece (I rarely pre-select a frame until the piece is finished as the initial concept design may well change). On the other hand, finishing a piece always feels like finishing a good book you did not want to end, or saying goodbye to an old friend.

What is your favourite part of the creative process?

Aside from conception, where the excitement of taking an initial idea through hours of research to formulate something tangible with potential, for me the favourite part is just after the AARRGGGHHH stage. As I mentioned earlier, this is where the magic really happens, the fog clears, and the artworks’ true direction is revealed.

Can you give us an insight into current projects and inspiration, or what we can look forward to from you in the near future?

I currently have 4 work in progress pieces on the go:

1.2m x 1.2m oil on museum grade box canvas commission piece in a renaissance style. The inspiration for this piece was born from the character of the clients’ period home and a bold wallpaper design from the room where it will be hung (we built this over facetime due to lockdown conditions). The client has not yet seen the design and has put his trust in me to create something with a “wow” factor, which I absolutely love (no pressure!).

1.2m x 1.2m oil on museum grade box canvas monochrome piece. This is being compiled for a forthcoming exhibition in London during August 2021. The inspiration for this piece is my interpretation of the exhibition theme “serendipity”. This piece is under wraps now and will be revealed closer to the exhibition (with a few spoilers leading up to it).

The other two pieces are 40cm round oil on canvas board. These pieces will complete a collection of four (current pieces are “Life’s a Beach” and “Tranquility”) and are built up of monochrome protagonists with highlights of bold red, set against a vibrant blue background, then set into an antique walnut circular frame. The inspiration for this collection is “summertime by the beach” with a respectful nod to past times. Times where technology was minimal in comparison to today’s fast-paced digital highways, and people could “live in the moment” and genuinely enjoy and absorb the environment around them.

For the future, I have a whole headful of ideas ready to explode out there! There will always be several commissions on the go in my studio, as I absolutely love the creation process for these. The resounding highlight of commissions is seeing the clients’ reaction when they first see their artwork, it can be quite moving.

The headful of ideas will evolve into a number of collections, where I aim to complete 3 collections over a 12 month period. These will undoubtedly continue in the contemporary surrealism theme I have grown to love over the years.

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