October Gallery
A Bit of Realism - Thomas Van Driel
October Gallery - A Bit of Realism: Thomas Van Driel
Gallery Exhibition Date: October 5 - October 31 2026
Opening Reception: October 8, 7:00 PM | The Carrot Community Arts Coffeehouse (9351 - 118 Ave)
You are warmly invited to the opening reception for A Bit of Realism: Thomas Van Driel
My family immigrated to Edmonton from the Netherlands in 1955. I was 9 years old at the time and, like so many Canadians, brought with me the formative years from another culture, history and geography. In Edmonton my family lived in rented accommodation until I was in my 20s. We were never settled more than 4 years in any one place, which together with an already introverted personality and a sensitivity to abusive human behaviour, reinforced my direction towards the relatively constant and enduring natural world and a focus on the positive expressions of human creativity.
I am fascinated by the beauty of nature, the rich tapestry of hue, texture and pattern and how those resonate with the contemplative side of human existence. Life is full of paradoxes. Good co-exists with evil. Light with dark. Joy with sadness. Human creativity and destruction. In the work I do, I try to juxtapose these contrasts while at the same time accepting and even celebrating them. In the current world of ever-shifting virtual reality, there is a certain degree of comfort in pausing to focus on something that catches the eye. For me, capturing that pause in a drawing or painting enriches that focus and a connection with whatever it is that has given me that "aha!" moment. Mixing paint to replicate or accentuate a hue or value, putting a pencil to paper or a brush to canvas can be very satisfying. I hope I never lose a child-like wonder at the surprises of discovering beauty and whimsy.