Canvas Conversations: Surviving and Thriving
Canvas Conversations: Surviving and Thriving
From Darkness to Light, Unraveling the Layers of Existence
Hello, friends,
Can you believe we're already in November? Not sure about the rest of you, but I’m absolutely ready for the new year. I entered this year with so much hope for what it would bring. It’s been little over a year and a half since I left my 9-5 job to pursue my passion for creating art full-time. While I'm starting to see the fruits of all my hard work, I won’t lie; life has thrown me a lot of curve balls to handle emotionally and mentally. To say I’m ready for a refresh is an understatement. Not only does it feel like the world is facing numerous challenges, but in my bubble, I’ve lost some amazing people and stood next to many who have been struggling themselves. All of this, plus the weight of running a full-time art business, has been exhausting. But there is something in me that continues to show up every day because I know this path was made for me.
As I sat down to write today, I knew I wanted to pick a painting to talk about, but wasn't sure which one to choose and the direction I would go with the conversation. But after expressing all that, I know exactly the piece I want to talk about.
“Survival of the fittest”
8x8”
Gouache on cradled wood panel.
2023
If the title didn’t already give it away, this piece was born out of processing a lot of grief and understanding the navigation between the life we are given and the life we create. In the scene, there are two cats fighting over a bird that lies dead at their feet. While it may read as disturbing to the some, there is so much content to be taken from this piece.
Here are a few things that really resonated with me when creating this:
First and foremost, you never know what someone is truly going through, hence the ominous back ally location. Hidden from plain sight, it reflects what we must do to survive.
The word ‘survival’ carries a lot of weight in itself. Working to live, to feed yourself and your family, dealing with mental health, keeping or finding a home or shelter, relying on our instincts to navigate our choices. These are just a few of the many ways to decipher survival, but there are a vast amount of interpretations to be had.
The battle - this dynamic is so powerful. Each animal has their own story; they bring their own history to the table, whether out of trauma or out of love. Defending themselves against their opponent; it can be anyone or anything. We often put ourselves or our family first before we put others.
I often use animals to represent human emotions or situations. We may walk, talk, and have advantages over animals, but when you strip away everything, we are all the same. We are all animals.
The cycle of life - down the chain. Life is precious. It’s a privilege and a gift to be able to live and experience all that there is. Despite all that we may endure during our time on this earth, there is so much to be grateful for.
Which leads me to the other half of this painting. There can never be darkness without light. Peaking out from beyond the buildings comes a blanket of light. Here lies opportunity, positivity, growth, possibility, rebirth, love and so much more.
No matter what you go through never lose your hope.
I've always been an observant person, a definite over-thinker. Paintings like this one come to me in those moments when I'm lost in thought, my mind racing with scenes and visions. "What if I were to witness this in real life?" It's like being a fly on the wall, contemplating what I would do, how I would react, and what emotions would flood in. There's no way this scenario hasn't happened somewhere to someone or something. I take my mind on that journey until I’m onto something else. Sometimes, I question why I create such things, but in the same breath, I know there's someone out there who will see my art and connect with it in their unique way. The excitement of bringing my visions to life and the prospect of connecting with someone else make the entire creative process worthwhile.
If you've read this and felt a connection to this piece, a limited edition print and a special edition variant Golden Hour print are available through this link.
Thanks for taking the time to read with me; I hope you've connected with this painting in your own way.
To all those new here, welcome, and thanks for being a part of this! Alongside casual updates about what I’m up to and where you can find me, I select one painting every week or so to break down the what and why behind its creation. Feel free to interact with these posts however you'd like; I'd love to hear your thoughts.
If you've been wondering about my painting process, I hope you find your way over to my Instagram account. I’m constantly sharing more behind-the-scenes visual content on the creation of each painting.
Until next time - As always thanks for reading. Stay inspired!
Best,
Sam