Rescued By The Sunset

Chelsea Allard

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(b. 1991)

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RESCUED BY THE SUNSET; 2011

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acrylic on canvas

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92 x 57 in. (233.7 x 144.8 cm)

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ARTIST STATEMENT

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As far back as I can remember I've always wished that someone could just plug a cord into my head and project how I see the world onto a wall; my dreams; my imagination. Since that technology has not yet been invented, I must rely on art as an outlet for sharing these images with the world. I created Rescued by the Sunset with the intention of sharing one of my favorite pieces of scenery in the world. When I look at an Alberta sunset, I don't just see beautiful colours; I see all the specific shapes in the clouds, I see the outlines of the mountains, I see the vibrant yellows of the fields and the brushstrokes in the sky. Using bold acrylic colours and a diverse palette, I try to capture exactly how I see the sunset and all of the emotions that Alberta sunsets provoke in me.

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Many experiences in my life including enthusiastic bird watching countless flying dreams have led to my love of clouds; especially cumulonimbus clouds. Cumulonimbus are VAST clouds often associated with thunderstorms that can sometimes stretch as high as 75,000 feet. When I see these cloud giants slowly making their way across the sky, it produces an immense feeling of euphoria, humility, and a longing to join them in their lofty home. The canvas' size was chosen specifically to allow for the towering cloud to effectively capture how humbling their immense size is.

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Born in the prairies, I often feel that I was cheated out of living somewhere considered typically beautiful like British Columbia, but when I've had opportunities of living in the mountains, I've found that I get sick of the claustrophobic horizons and the cluttered skies and I find myself longing for open skies and vast, stretching horizons. This painting is my expression of the beauty and freedom I see in the landscape that I've grown up with and my attempt at bringing a gorgeous Alberta sunset to those who have never experienced one, and also to remind people to pay attention to the beauty in the world around them.