With Bubbles

Description

“I don’t see the point in painting a portrait; you might as well take a photograph. But to paint someone’s personality, what’s beneath the surface, is much more meaningful. So, I’ll paint someone as a big smiley giraffe, or a horse with its mane blowing in the wind to show the different sides of their personality” – Mackenzie Thorpe

In this Mackenzie Thorpe original artwork for sale, a young child stands with his animal best friend while holding a heart shaped flower. The child has an ear to ear smile and the big head that is so easily recognizable in Thorpe’s work. He believes that we need to keep our heads as big as possible, to marvel at the beauty of nature, and to continue to dream. Thorpe reminds us that the fear we have is all between our ears; It is not real. Instead of passing it on and continuing to live in it, we should be sharing the joy of the new and unknown.

The background of this image is scattered with Thorpe’s signature red hearts and tiny, effervescent floating bubbles. It’s a reminder to remain carefree and easygoing as we may have been in our youth. The hearts echo the love that is in the dog’s eyes. Thorpe often paints people in his life as animals. This green spotted dog may be based on the personality of someone that he knows, and not just a dog. Some of his most well known works are the square sheep that he created to represent his family.

Thorpe draws and creates shapes using color that allows him to explore with unbound creativity. As children, we are encouraged to be creative, however, when a child adds colors that are not representative to the real world, they are often critiqued. It ruins their creativity. Thorpe is trying to get back to that raw feeling and emotion, a place where it is impossible to make mistakes. He often will create a green dog or a purple giraffe because it communicates the feeling that he wants his work to represent.

Thorpe’s much-loved images are rooted in authenticity, expressing an emotionally tender world and a universal message of hope that connects with people across cultures. This original pastel on paper, along with several other Mackenzie Thorpe artworks, is available for sale at Marcus Ashley Gallery in South Lake Tahoe. Marcus Ashley is a premier fine art destination, exhibiting 40+ of the world’s most renowned artists of our time and is recognized for its outstanding service, which includes custom framing, private home shows for clients within 60 miles and worldwide shipping.