Dare To Dream (The BFG) - Canvas Limited Edition
£1,295.00
- There is so much to draw on from the story, but for me, there was one line from the BFG that kick-started my thinking - where he said he wasn’t a coward. It was the seed for me looking at how the state of mind of the BFG could take a lead role in my interpretation. He is undoubtedly good, he resides amongst all these terrible giants yet has made it his life’s work to catch dreams, filter them and give them to the sleeping children. Look at his relationship with Sophie, really lovely. However what if the lines became blurred?
To those who see him in his cloak, in the shadows, tie him to the disappearance of the town’s children, but he keeps telling himself he is good. Everyone has demons, voices, doubts. What if his naive, child-like nature was infiltrated and overwhelmed by these dark thoughts? It’s just a bad dream isn’t it? You always wake up fine, unaffected, right? They’re just children, it’s just a dream.
In a clear state of mind, when he’s on the job he meticulously filters and sorts the good from the bad, my piece sets out the scene when for reasons only known to him the dream bottles have been mixed up. How can something so beautiful do so much bad? It’s just a dream anyway... will be fine in the morning anyway. Dare to dream?
In my piece the BFG is on the street in the midnight hour with the effects of his work there for all to see, but so are the battles between what he does, or thinks he does, and those that despise and fear him. For example the walls and balcony are daubed with negative and aggressive messaging and often show a reply from the BFG to hit back. Are these from the townsfolk or are these in fact the battles in his head laid out for all to see? His Dream Case is his most personal and treasured possession, the conflict, frustrations and battles spill out onto this too.
The scene puts beauty first, to the front albeit mixed with darkness. Things lay in the shadows, catch your eye and then stay with you, reminiscent of the plot and his mindset maybe? I wanted to create a piece that was brilliantly beautiful, wonderfully dark and ultimately dream-like, to make you think, to take you away into your own place, just as the BFG does.
‘Just let me do good’.
-
- Released: 2021
- Collection: Storyteller
- Edition Size: 5 + 1AP
- Specification: Limited edition fine art print, hand signed by artist.
- Image Size: 36” x 27"
- Framed Size (Approx): 43” x 34"
-
- Get in touch for overseas delivery
- Please allow approximately 14 days for delivery, should you need delivery sooner please let us know.
Commissions
When workload allows Mark embraces client commissions and has enjoyed amazing success to date. If you have been inspired by the work that you have seen and have a specific idea or simply a seed then please do get in touch.
Commission EnquiriesRelated Items
A Minute Past Midnight (Cinderella) - Limited Edition
- Captured in mid transition, Cinderellas Pumpkin coach has come to rest on the cobblestones under the glow of the Italian night sky. This piece is a concept of time, embracing the reality of how quickly things can change. Rags to riches and right back again. Fools gold?
-
- Released: 2016
- Collection: Storyteller
- Edition Size: 25 + 1AP
- Specification: Limited edition fine art print, hand signed by artist.
- Image Size: 21.5” x 16.5"
- Framed Size: 29.5” x 25"
Cast Off Your Shackles (Mary Poppins) - Canvas Limited Edition
£1,295.00
- With this piece I wanted to focus on creating emotion and feeling within the scene rather than a deep concept. The horse that takes centre stage shows so much emotion and is deep in thought, majestic almost. My aim is to first see the beautiful horse in its’ surroundings and then notice the pole, painted saddle and the cracked skin to reveal signs of a darker past. Now that the horse has broken free it has cast off the shackles of yesterday and embracing the freedom that comes from that.
This is mirrored by the suggested relationship between Mary and Bert which shows a number of references to this and how they have brought what was once hidden into the open for all to see! Objects within the grass that typically shock are made to look beautiful as this is how the two love birds see what they have between each other.
What I have created is a scene based on the original narrative that is set in parkland on a beautiful English Summers’ day with the dome of St Pauls showing over the treetops. A racecourse extends across the composition with riders and horses thundering by. Light as always plays a key role here creating warmth and calm whilst the brighter areas are there to represent hope.
Butterflies flutter around the pole moving upwards, the style of these has been done in a way that relates to the flat colours of those used in the film as contrast to the background. Dandelions fill the grass to enhance the lightness and delicateness of the piece, there are tiny seed details where they are floating upwards. In the background there is Mary Poppins’ carpet bag and the white umbrella that she held within the park / fair scene with subtle hints of magical detail surrounding it. Birds are a key part of the film and I have includes two within the softened background, as well as Berts’ blue bow-tie that rests against Mary’s bag. Nestled within the grass is the signature Matryoshka doll that references my first published collection.
Key characters from the story stand within the long grass, a disgruntled turtle and some penguins, of course! I deliberately left until last as it was a case of how on earth do you introduce such characters into such a beautiful scene without it looking random and stark. So what I have done is create a connection between one of the penguins and the horse where they are fixed on each other. There is subtle dream-like lighting detail and icons that are radiating off the penguin leading upwards to the horse, it creates something really wonderful and more importantly a talking point as to what is going on and why there is such a lovely affiliation.
For me it epitomises what I am conveying through this image, beauty, intrigue, freedom, hope and subtle randomness. The two central penguins are deep in conversation, possibly gossiping about their love-struck friend!
-
- Released: 2021
- Collection: Storyteller
- Edition Size: 5 + 1AP
- Specification: Limited edition fine art print, hand signed by artist.
- Image Size: 36” x 27"
- Framed Size (Approx): 43 x 34"
-
- Get in touch for overseas delivery
- Please allow approximately 14 days for delivery, should you need delivery sooner please let us know.
 - Canvas Limited Edition&media=https://markdaviesbritishartist.co.uk/cdn/shop/products/DTD-Canvas-frame_600x.jpg?v=1640703695){kind=link}
Cast Off Your Shackles (Mary Poppins) - Standard Limited Edition
£415.00
- With this piece I wanted to focus on creating emotion and feeling within the scene rather than a deep concept. The horse that takes centre stage shows so much emotion and is deep in thought, majestic almost. My aim is to first see the beautiful horse in its’ surroundings and then notice the pole, painted saddle and the cracked skin to reveal signs of a darker past. Now that the horse has broken free it has cast off the shackles of yesterday and embracing the freedom that comes from that.
This is mirrored by the suggested relationship between Mary and Bert which shows a number of references to this and how they have brought what was once hidden into the open for all to see! Objects within the grass that typically shock are made to look beautiful as this is how the two love birds see what they have between each other.
What I have created is a scene based on the original narrative that is set in parkland on a beautiful English Summers’ day with the dome of St Pauls showing over the treetops. A racecourse extends across the composition with riders and horses thundering by. Light as always plays a key role here creating warmth and calm whilst the brighter areas are there to represent hope.
Butterflies flutter around the pole moving upwards, the style of these has been done in a way that relates to the flat colours of those used in the film as contrast to the background. Dandelions fill the grass to enhance the lightness and delicateness of the piece, there are tiny seed details where they are floating upwards. In the background there is Mary Poppins’ carpet bag and the white umbrella that she held within the park / fair scene with subtle hints of magical detail surrounding it. Birds are a key part of the film and I have includes two within the softened background, as well as Berts’ blue bow-tie that rests against Mary’s bag. Nestled within the grass is the signature Matryoshka doll that references my first published collection.
Key characters from the story stand within the long grass, a disgruntled turtle and some penguins, of course! I deliberately left until last as it was a case of how on earth do you introduce such characters into such a beautiful scene without it looking random and stark. So what I have done is create a connection between one of the penguins and the horse where they are fixed on each other. There is subtle dream-like lighting detail and icons that are radiating off the penguin leading upwards to the horse, it creates something really wonderful and more importantly a talking point as to what is going on and why there is such a lovely affiliation.
For me it epitomises what I am conveying through this image, beauty, intrigue, freedom, hope and subtle randomness. The two central penguins are deep in conversation, possibly gossiping about their love-struck friend!
-
- Released: 2021
- Collection: Storyteller
- Edition Size: 25 + 5AP
- Specification: Limited edition fine art print, hand signed by artist.
- Image Size: 25” x 18.5"
- Framed Size (Approx): 32” x 26"
-
- Get in touch for overseas delivery
- Please allow approximately 14 days for delivery, should you need delivery sooner please let us know.