BBC Article

Sharing My Vision - Giving You Joy

Having the opportunity to share my artwork through the BBC has been an astounding experience. It has meant that many more people far and wide from the USA, Europe and beyond have discovered my artwork and their reaction has inspired me further to share my next chapter of paintings.

Painting for me was always about HOPE, even at times in my life when I felt hopeless. We are all living in hope, it keeps us persevering, it allows us to get through the darker days in our lives. Having the light at the end of the tunnel to focus on is immensely important for our daily well-being. My artworks act as that vision of Hope, the physical place or the peak mental state that we’re all longing for - projections of the self into a better future.

Read the full article here:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-norfolk-53097748

An artist says the coronavirus lockdown has taught him to "slow down, to take the foot off the gas, and to enjoy the smaller things".

Samuel Thomas, from Norwich, has been sharing his paintings on social media while he is unable to hold exhibitions.

The 33-year-old said during the pandemic, he had found inspiration on walks or cycles in the countryside.

"There is so much joy and wonder surrounding us in our lives, sometimes we just need reminding of it," he says

The artist said he wanted to show the "joy and wonder" in everyday life Samuel Thomas said his work was about capturing the beauty of Norfolk

Mr Thomas, who is self-taught, said that lockdown had not changed his working life.

"I have always worked from my home studio spending lots of time alone," he said.

He said he believed art "still holds value and reverence" even during the coronavirus pandemic. Samuel Thomas said his art shows Norfolk as "vibrant and euphoric". Samuel Thomas is a full-time professional artist and is self-taught

The artist, who has been painting professionally for 12 years, said he wanted to "capture North Norfolk in a new and exciting light for a new generation of people".

He said the county had "radiance, charm and beauty" which he wants to illuminate.

"Daily lockdown has heightened my inspiration as it has taught me to really truly appreciate the small things," he said.

"Art helps people appreciate the fact that life will get better, that there is always hope.’

Projections of the Self into a better future.

What keeps us looking forward to tomorrow - What keeps us going?

It is our desire and aspiration for a better future to materialise itself into our reality. We all live our lives in pursuit of happiness - we seek pleasure, we avoid pain, this is the experience of living. Of course life is a balance and we should be careful not to take ‘today’ for granted whilst being pre-occupied with a better future.

This philosophy has inspired me to paint ever since I first picked up a paint brush. In whatever I choose to paint, the painting always ends up as a declaration of hope and optimism whether I intended it to be that way or not. This is because my paintings are an extension of my beliefs. The reason I spend my time ‘reminding us of the joys’ that we all have to look forward to is because sometimes in life we lose sight of it -we become bored, dispondent and we can spiral into depression. We forget about the good times and we forget how to enjoy ourselves entirely. I think we are all guilty of this in varying degrees due to the treadmill and the monotony of our everyday routines.

I do not have the solution to depression, but if I can help someone reconnect with what brings them joy in their lives, then I know I have helped in someway. Our happiness depends on how we ‘see’ our world, if we learn to see it from a different perspective - we experience more joy in our everyday,

What motivates you to pick up a paint brush everyday?

Seeing the EXTRA-ORDINARY in the Ordinary.

I paint in order to capture the moments of pure bliss along with the joys and the limitless freedom that surround us in this life.

Why?

Moments of pure happiness can be fleeting and often difficult to obtain in the complicated and busy lives we lead. But if we learn to stop and pause we realise those moments are all around us, even in our everyday, whether that be taking the time to appreciate a short stroll in the woodland or an afternoon spent at the seaside. It is these moments that re-energise and re-vitalise us and it is in these seemingly ordinary pleasures that we obtain extraordinary amounts of joy and energy. Some of my paintings of the world act as aspirational projections of the brighter days ahead that we have to look forward to making the artworks life-affirming visions of the world.

As human beings we are very rarely living in the present, as we are often looking back on our past memories in a nostalgic manner celebrating the glory of our past whilst simultaneously dreaming ahead; looking toward our futures. During the creative process of painting I am often deep in thought and so I naturally capture all of these states within my paintings to create timeless artworks alive with energy with optimistic outlooks whilst also capturing a nostalgic sense of the world.

Some of my portrayals of the world are deliberately naive, dreamlike and surreal with a stylised Pop-Art quality to them. This is because I am seeing the world through the eyes of a child where everything is unpolluted and unscathed and we possess limitless boundless energy and optimism. Because children give us so much hope as they are always in a state of excitement and wonder about the world around them. I want my audience to reconnect with this childhood vision seeing the world with fresh eyes where everything excites. It is in this state that we connect with the pure joys in this world.

‘The child see’s everything in a state of newness; he is always drunk’    (Baudelelaire, 1863)

My paintings aim to capture the ordinary moments in an extra-ordinary fashion in order to remind us of how much there is to celebrate and appreciate in our lives.

The Art-form of The Perfect Beer.........

INTRODUCING ……

The NEW Cromer Pilsner:

A Limited Edition Beer for 2019; In collaboration with Local Redwell Brewery AND Cromer Carnival

Celebrating The 50th Anniversary of Cromer Carnival………

I can assure you that it tastes just as GOOD as it looks……….. two of my favourite things in life have come together……. ART & ALCOHOL !!

Please Drink Responsibly.

Promotional Video Release

I have been featured in this exciting promotional video which helps explain the story behind my artwork. The video touches on the way that I paint and why I paint the world in the way that I do in a concise and direct style.

Julian Langham was the videographer  https://www.julianlangham.co.uk/ and created a strong edit and a polished video. This adds a welcome dimension to my website and helps get my passion and inspiration across to all you lovely people. 

'Childhood Rediscovered'

Childhood Rediscovered

Why do we love playing with our children or our grandchildren?

Because they remind us of what it felt like to be young.

Why do we love to admire Samuel Thomas’ paintings?

Because they remind us of what it felt like to be young.

You may not have discovered the artworks of this Norfolk artist, but Samuel Thomas’ paintings rekindle our childhood vision of the world. His pop-art inspired paintings are joyous celebrations of the world around us, these are not backward looking pastiches’ but aspirational projections of the self into a better future. The artist uses his Norfolk surroundings to capture scenes including the iconic RAF Red Arrows painting the skies with a giant love heart to mesmerising sunsets that have a dreamy quality within them. Being young is often a state of mind – a state of mind that is embodied within these paintings.

''The child sees everything in a state of newness; he is always drunk.....

Genius is nothing more nor less than childhood recovered.''                 (Baudelelaire, 1863,)

We can rekindle and rediscover our sense of wonder and amazement of the world around us when we lose ourselves in these euphoric paintings. Samuel Thomas, 29, admits he is a bit of an old soul at heart, but he embraces this element of his personality and admits it’s this quality that inspires him to paint the world around him. ‘Sometimes words just don’t do the story justice – and only a painting will do’ exclaims the artist. As children our imaginations are wild, our ideas are limitless, our energy is boundless, nothing is ever off limits.

'Never lose touch with your sense of wonder about the world – rekindle the wild imaginations we once experienced as children.’                                                                 (Samuel Thomas)

Samuel Thomas is a natural observer of the world, and he finds it fascinating to watch the world around him and respond to it in his own unique way. As we grow older we become fixated on the quest of building the perfect life for ourselves, but in doing so we in fact make life harder for ourselves. We are so preoccupied with rushing around and stressing out over our frenetic routines that we sacrifice the present moment being preoccupied with the future prospect of improving our lives. We are hardly ever contented because we are always striving for something - but what?

Sometimes all we need to do to realise how perfect our lives actually are is to slow down and appreciate exactly what it is we are experiencing. This is what Samuel Thomas aims to do with his paintings - to remind people of how much there is to celebrate in their lives already.

My paintings exist on many levels; as beautiful dreamlike scenes, to exploring escapism we all long for and portraying the world as seen through the eyes of a child that is a wild and limitless. The artworks aim to capture that overwhelming feeling that washes over you after watching a profound life-affirming film. We all know that life is rarely perfect, and the pursuit of perfection is a pointless one, because as human beings we are rarely ever contented with what we obtain. But Samuel’s paintings encourage us to appreciate how perfect our lives already are. The spirit and atmosphere in each original is unique, capturing for eternity a brief moment in its perfect state.

‘The best way I could describe my works is a something caught between a surreal day-dream and reality played out on canvas.’                                                                            (Samuel Thomas)

Another concept Samuel is fascinated by is nostalgia and as we grow older our sense of nostalgia grows stronger and stronger. Moments we once never knew were so precious become golden memories we long to re-live in some way or another. Time slips away faster and faster as we grow older, trying to hold onto time is as pointless as trying to hold onto sand in our hands without it slipping through our fingers. ‘Nostalgia’ is a painting that encapsulates this idea and was created using real sand collected by the artist as walked his local beach one evening.

The appeal of Samuel Thomas ‘ artwork transcends and appeals to many generations due to the diverse range of artistic influences that run through each piece. The artist’s signature painting style is reminiscent of the ‘come to the seaside’ railway posters from the 1920’s with elements of stylised art deco patterns. In addition to this you can also see a fusion of 1960’s psychedelia to pop art of the 1950s resulting in artwork that has a sense of nostalgia and timelessness.

‘I am a painter consumed in capturing the world that surrounds me in its perfect state through my eyes, before it escapes me forever.’                                                            (Samuel Thomas)

eXpect the UneXpected eXhibition

Norfolk artist Samuel Thomas opens his last SOLO exhibition of 2015. See unusual techniques, materials and imaginative pop-art inspired scenes that celebrate Norfolk.   

Red Lion Hotel, Cromer,    Oct 24^th  - Nov 1^st

This exhibition will unveil 6 new original paintings alongside the artist’s extensive collection. ‘I pride myself on being a self-taught artist and consequently my painting style naturally evolves and develops over time – so expect the unexpected!’ explains Samuel, whom lives in Norfolk but sells his artwork all over the world including the USA and Japan.

Artworks on show will demonstrate the range of unusual materials used – including using sand, coffee and tea instead of paint – to replacing the traditional artist’s canvas with surfboards, life-rings and floorboards!  The large exhibition will feature 25 original paintings with framed and unframed limited edition signed prints starting from £95 each. You will see colourful Norfolk scenes in a pop-art style designed to lift your spirits – perfect for anyone looking for that extra-special Christmas or anniversary gift.

The informal exhibition welcomes everyone – All the artwork is available to purchase at the exhibition but you can also order online to your home address from www.samuelthomasart.co.uk

VENUE: Function Room, Red Lion Hotel, Brook St, Cromer, NR27 9HD.

10am - 5pm everyday 

Now selected & promoted via Global Art agency: ''Artists Info.co.uk''

http://www.artistsinfo.co.uk/

Artist's Generous donation to Cancer Research UK.

Norfolk Based artist Samuel Thomas’ art exhibition pulls in a crowd from all over East Anglia raising over £1600 for Cancer Research UK.

Cromer-born artist Samuel Thomas’ 18 day art exhibition held in Cromer during August 2015 was a great success with buyers of his artwork coming from all over Britain. One of the artist’s new original paintings, was the centre-piece of the pop-art inspired exhibition and was highlighted in a silent-bid charity auction. Many bids came in for the painting, titled “An Evening Stroll” and the highest bid of £…………….  will be donated to Cancer Research UK. This bidder is now the proud owner of the artwork knowing that all of the money will help in the fight against cancer which affects so many of us. Samuel having gained success as an artist believes the importance of supporting worthwhile causes, and he has previously benefited others over the last few years.

Samuel sells his art work all over the country and across the world including the USA and Japan and he has donated artwork to help worthy causes in the past when he helped to raise £10,000 for the ‘Breast Cancer Unit Development Fund’ in Kings Lynn in May. In September 2015, Samuel is helping support the Norwich Hospital intensive care unit by donating one of his limited edition prints for a charity auction night being held at the White Horse pub in Cromer. Having realised that his artwork can really make a difference Samuel plans to use his artwork in the future to raise money for other charitable causes.

Also benefitting from Samuel’s artwork talent is Norwich based charity Break when 2 large dragons painted by Samuel will be auctioned off at the GoGoDragons auction night alongside the other 80+ dragons on October 1^st. He was invited back to take part after the combined total of his ‘wild in art’ sculptures of 4 gorillas he painted for GoGoGorillas  raised £29,300 for charity back in 2013.  

Samuel prides himself on being a self-taught artist and he has developed a refreshing painting style that is truly unique, euphoric & mesmerising with unframed limited edition prints starting at £95 each of Norfolk scenes captured in a pop-art style that echo’s back to the 1920 rail poster art that is designed to lift your spirits.   

Signed limited edition prints of ‘An Evening Stroll’ are now available from £95 and can be ordered from the website: www.samuelthomasart.co.uk       

Out on the Open Road

Inspired by the VW

Getting out on the open road and leaving everything behind is what we all long for when setting out on a road trip, and artist Samuel Thomas has captured this hedonistic feeling in his series of original paintings inspired by the VW.

The artist shares his thoughts with us:

      Escapism is a unifying theme that runs throughout most of my paintings – and many of my paintings could be likened to a day-dream played out on canvas; not quite in touch with reality. So the excitement and magic experienced on a road trip seemed like the perfect subject matter to paint…..

‘Sun drenched road trip’ captures my experience of a road trip through the south of France. I remember how I deliberately left my watch at home, this holiday was not about worrying about the time, it was simply about getting away from it all. Something I’ve learnt along the way is that life is so much better when you just learn to enjoy the journey to wherever it is you are going and you forget the end goal or the destination. This is a notion I have captured within this painting.

‘Road trip through France’ I later painted inspire by rural France when I decided to open up the expanse of the road ahead by removing the VW campervan so it feels as if we (the viewer) are sat inside our vehicle looking out onto the open road from behind the wind shield.

‘Take Me There’ is all about our fascination with discovering and celebrating a by-gone era by the way I have incorporated a 1950’s wallpaper pattern to mimic a field of psychedelic flowers in the foreground as a VW beetle discovers the countryside. Many of us take incredible pride and attention to detail in how we restore VW campervans back to their former glory, something I’ve seen my cousin with her husband who both run retrocampers.co.uk beautifully restoring VW campers ready for holiday hire at Sheringham, Norfolk.

‘In our dreams’ takes influence from pop art and psychedelic styles and captures a journey that is surreal and more like something envisaged within a dream. As an artist you have the right to run away with your imagination: Why can’t a tree flourish into love hearts beneath the moonlight?!  

‘Open road’ is a painting I have been working on over the dark winter months when I have been locked away in the studio getting ready for a busy year ahead. So naturally the anticipation and the excitement of looking forward to the summer ahead has been captured in the atmosphere of this painting.

The gallery section of this website shows you paintings that are inspired by my travels around Norfolk, Suffolk, France and further afield. All original paintings are available to order as unframed limited edition prints from £95 each to hang on your walls so that even during the dark depths of winter you can look forward to holidays and road trips that lay ahead! I also undertake commissioned original paintings that can be based on your photographs of your holidays away including your beloved VW campervan.

'28 @ Twenty-Eight'

May 20th 2015 sees me turning 28, and I will have produced 28 new original paintings. Limited Edition Signed prints will be available of each one from £95 each.

I have been working hard and this challenge will allow me to keep up with supply and demand but more importantly it will allow me to really focus on getting completely consumed within the creative process and to capture new Norfolk scenes in my own unique way. I always want my art work to remain fresh and vibrant and so this challenge will force me to keep my artwork moving forward and evolving.

Artcile Published September 2014,

In the year that Barnados revealed that one in five British families are unable to afford a trip to the seaside, Samuel Thomas’ work shows why such visits are a vital balm to the tired soul and body.

Combining pop art, Art Deco and psychedelic styles, Thomas’s paintings are joyous and unencumbered bursts of light, water and flowers. Mainly but not exclusively of East Anglian scenes, they beckon the viewer towards their seductive new Jerusalems of simple pleasures: watching an air display (Hand in Hand), sitting on a beach (Sunburst Over Breakwater) and walking through a cliff top field (Poppyland in Cromer).

Working mainly in acrylic on canvas, the painter certainly offers us what we most yearn for on a British holiday and not just the pampered middle classes on some retro-special excursion to the 1950s.

These are not backward-looking pastiches, but aspirational projections of the self into a better future; a little like Dorothy stepping into Technicolor for the first time.

In Summer in Cromer the three descending gulls draw the eye towards the faraway pier and the promise of fun as well as the sun burning in variegated shades through the clouds.

From the Balcony shows a woman her face partially hidden maybe looking at the sun or perhaps she is having a well-earned snooze.

Coming inland, Thomas offers vistas of rural calmness, but also the happy hustle-bustle of cities, including the elevating Norwich – A Fine City.

Thomas also reminds us that the sea is a place of work for some. In Fishermen of Cromer, a boat is manhandled out to sea, its lines and that of the tractor bleeding perfectly into puddles in the foreground.

Boat Trail - Public Auction - All Proceeds To Charity 24th Aug

Image of the Boat artwork - The item is designed to be used as a wall-mounted planter affixed to a wall  

‘Cromer – Gem of the Norfolk Coast’
By Samuel Thomas – Signed by the Artist

Samuel Thomas has created this sailing boat with his signature ‘sunburst’ design above Cromer’s evocative shoreline.  The art deco style is inspired by the iconic 1920s ‘Come to Cromer’ seaside rail posters that celebrated the town as the popular tourist destination it has become. A nostalgic celebration of our unique part of the world.

• SUITABLE FOR OUTSIDE USE: To be used as a wall-mounted planter.
• SUITABLE FOR INTERIOR USE: As a decorative ornament bringing the sunshine to you all-year round!

Grand Charity Auction

On Sunday 24^th Aug 2014, Cromer This popular piece of artwork will be available to the highest bidder and all proceeds raised will be donated to local charities. 

Affordable Art Fair, London, March 13th - 16th 2014

Affordable Art Fair Battersea
13 – 16 March 2014

The Affordable Art Fair is back! March sees the return of London’s friendliest art fair and I am pleased to announce someof my originals will be shown there. The affordable art fair in London, Battersea welcomes art lovers, art connoisseurs, and art novices alike to discover affordable art by thousands of artists under one roof. Our 110 participating galleries come from all over the UK and abroad, bringing their choicest selections for you to browse, buy, and enjoy.

Everything is for sale between £40 and £4,000, with paintings, original artist-made prints, sculpture and photography all on show. Whether you are looking for artwork that is traditional or contemporary, humorous or edgy, by a famous name or an undiscovered talent, there is something for everyone!

BOOK TICKETS and find out more here: http://affordableartfair.com/battersea/

Published in Uniquely Away - 'Bringing The Sunshine'

2014 Looks to be kicking off in full colour for Samuel, Uniquely Away magazine that promotes everything great & unique about Norfolk & Suffolk have a colourful double-page spread the Norfolk Based Artist.

'Bringing The Sunshine' talks about what motivates me on my painting profession and how my work captures the unique and inspiring quality of this very special area of the world. Quotes from the article include:

'My art is not to everyone's taste but I see that as I good thing - artwork that sits on the fence and is neither here nor there is in my opinion boring & forgettable.'

'I was often bored and uninspired growing up with the artwork I saw that depicted Norfolk, Norfolk for me is a beautiful and vibrant place, filled with colour and pattern but I rarely ever saw this quality mirrored in artwork'

'I beleive art should captivate your senses and present a unique viewpoint or interpretaion of the world which a photograph cannot do'.

  VISIT: http://www.uniquelymags.co.uk/index.html

2013 October 'ESCAPOLOGY' exhibition success

The Exhibition was really successful and gave people an opportunity to see a range of my work out on display. Limited Edition Prints were sold as too were recent original paintings. Private commissioned painting projects also arrose so I will spend the winter working on these. Thanks to all those that made it down. I look forward to a winter of hibernation and creating new works ready to be shown Spring 2014.

'Escapology' - Photography & Painting Exhibition - 25th Oct 2013

   'ESCAPOLOGY'

The Great ESCAPOLOGISTS……..... Samuel Thomas & David Morris explore the art of escaping your surroundings through painting and photography

Red Lion Hotel, Cromer          25^th Oct – 1^st Nov           11am – 6pm               FREE         

Life can be dull, dark, and damn right depressing sometimes. We all long to escape from time to time, to another time and to another place in the pursuit of something more exciting. Look no further as two Cromer based artists have collaborated to bring you an exhibition that will transport you there.

Samuel Thomas has captured familiar Norfolk landscapes and scenes to the wider world inspired from his travels as a young artist in an explosion of Pop-art infused colour & pattern that will captivate your imagination, click here to preview some new originals that will be shown at the exhibition: /gallery/landscapes/. Photographer, David Morris takes a thought provoking look at what drives people to drink in cafes and bars in this country & abroad, and if you can’t face the drinking then you can always escape into some of Norfolk’s big blues skies from a stunning selection of Norfolk scenes.

The exhibition will give you the opportunity to leisurely browse, buy or meet and talk with the two artists to discover what makes them tick. A ballot box will allow visitors to voice their opinions on the artwork shown and there will be a £100 gift voucher available to win redeemable against the artists works.

DATES & TIMES: Fri 25th Oct – Fri 1^st Nov       11am-6pm         FREE ENTRY

VENUE: The Function Room, The Red Lion, Brook Street, Cromer NR27 9HD

Information on Artists: www.samuelthomasart.co.uk & www.davidmorrisphotographer.com

ESCAPOLOGY - Inside Samuel's Mind

‘ESCAPOLOGY’ 

On the surface Samuel Thomas’ paintings are light and fluffy – like a surreal vision in a dream – but just like a dream scratch beneath the surface and you will discover a deeper meaning.

Red Lion Hotel, Cromer         |          25^th Oct – 1^st Nov         |           11am – 6pm

Life can be dull, dark, and damn right depressing sometimes. We all long to escape from time to time, to another time and to another place and often in the pursuit of something more exciting. Look no further as Norfolk artist Samuel Thomas presents an exhibition that will transport you there.

 'Take a glance through Alice's looking glass into a surreal wonderland

Where maybe the grass really is greener on the other side.'’

 The unifying theme of Escapism runs throughout Samuel’s paintings; from the exploration of surreal scenes we may envisage in our dreams to capturing a moment in a euphoric & mesmerising manner. Samuel has captured Norfolk landscapes and scenes to the wider world from his travels as a young artist in an explosion of unusual Pop-art infused colour & pattern that will captivate your imagination. His paintings have the ability to transport one to another time and place, Samuel explains further:  ‘The way in which I capture Norfolk scenes and other landscapes is clean, geometric and stylised in fashion – for this is the idyllic vision of the world, one that is often only realised in people’s  imaginations or dreams;  unique, utopic, limitless and mesmerising. The best way I can describe my paintings is a day-dream played out on canvas, something caught between reality and the imagination.’

''The child sees everything in a state of newness; he is always drunk.....

Genius is nothing more nor less than childhood recovered.''                               (Baudelaire, 1863)

‘Queen of Hearts’ by the surreal style of painting in a playful ‘Alice in Wonderland’ style documents a rather sad but true idea that the quest to find true love may only ever be a notion or a fabrication found in fairy tales.  ‘Moonlit Tree of Hearts’ illustrates the idea of an all-encompassing romance between a couple, where even the tree’s leaves are spell bound and transformed into a thousand hearts.  ‘Sun Drenched Road Trip’ is about learning to appreciate the excitement of the journey that we take in life rather than being pre-occupied with the end goal. ‘Bursting into Spring’ is the idea that life can be so much more magical when you find that someone special to share the journey with characterised by the tree flourishing in a surreal fashion whilst a couple cycle beneath it.  ‘She Dreamt’ is about the importance of our dreams on our unconscious and having faith that one day our dreams will become a reality. Perhaps the house only ever existed in the lady’s dreams and is a symbol that represents everything that she longs for from her life; security, a family home, a husband and a place to call home. It is her sheer determination and belief in her dreams that will one day cause them to be realised by manifesting themselves in reality.

Samuel Thomas’ work has captured the hearts and minds of the public and 2013 has proven to be a busy year for the artist with 6 commissions undertaken for ‘Wild in Art’ including sponsors from Marks and Spencer to the Norwich Castle Mall and the proceeds raised from the public auction of the art work goes to charity, Samuel’s ‘love hearts’ giraffe has already been valued at £6000. In addition to this his range of greeting cards released at Birmingham International Trade Fair are now sold all over the UK in independent retailers whilst Samuel has been busy with exhibitions in Padstow, Cornwall to Cromer, Norfolk.

Discover more about my art work, ideas and inspiration at my 8 day long exhibition where I am teaming up with David Morris; Norfolk Photographer who will also be exhibiting his extensive portfolio of photography and together we will explore escapology in both of our works.

See more of Samuel’s paintings: www.samuelthomasart.co.uk 

FIND THE VENUE: ‘ESCAPOLOGY Exhibition’:  Function Room, Red Lion, Brook Street, Cromer, NR27  9HD

Newspaper Article:

‘Cromer Artist Raises £29,300 for Charity in 2 Weeks’

In only 2 weeks seven of Samuel Thomas’ commissioned animal sculptures were auctioned off for charity raising a collaborative sum of £29,300.

On the 19^th September around 30 giraffe sculptures were auctioned off in Colchester, Essex, three of which were painted by Samuel and raised £9600. 14 days later on the 3^rd October four gorillas were auctioned off in Norwich which were painted by Samuel, one of which sold for £7700. In total from both auctions Samuel raised a sum of £29,300 which will be donated to charity. On the same night around 50 gorillas in were auctioned off raising an impressive total of £272,300. Charities that will benefit from this money raised will be Break, Born Free to Wildlife conservation trusts and it is good to know that art work has an ability to reach different kinds of people in very different ways.

Samuel shares his passion for the scheme: ‘’What is particularly good about the Go Go Gorillas event is that it touches people from all backgrounds, you have artists expressing their creativity, children in the summer enjoying the gorilla hunt, Norwich business reporting higher footfall due to the trail to the sculptures getting auctioned off as unique pieces of art. And ultimately the large amount of money raised at the auction makes a huge difference to people and animals all over the world.’’

Samuel began work on the Gorillas back in January and when April arrived he was in Essex in Colchester working on three giraffes for Wild in Art which he had been commissioned to paint. Before the varnish had time to dry on the giraffes Samuel was already driving back to Norfolk to return to his Dad’s conservatory where another two gorillas sat waiting for him to paint including one sponsored by Marks & Spencer. Samuel had originally planned to paint them in his studio, but when the (larger than anticipated) sculptures arrived they would not fit through the door way!

In fact it was this time last year when Samuel Thomas was first approached to take part in Go Go Gorillas by the project manager - Martin Green where they met at Samuel’s exhibition in Cromer. And after such a busy year that time has arrived again as Samuel’s  8-day long exhibition opens on the 25^th October at the Red Lion Cromer.  ‘’It’s good to be back in Cromer after an eventful year all over the UK promoting my art work where I have been to Cornwall, Birmingham, Essex and Suffolk.’’ Says Samuel who now plans to spend the winter working on new originals to keep up with demand and Brighton is his next focus to exhibit in. So perhaps this time next year you will be reading an article on ‘Samuel’s Success in Brighton 2014’!

‘ESCAPOLOGY’ Exhibition: Samuel Thomas & David Morris have teamed up for a collaborative show where stunning photography will be shown alongside originals and limited edition prints of Samuel’s. All of the work is available to purchase or leisurely browse. The two artists will also be showing slideshows exploring the theme of Escapism that runs throughout their work. There is also a ballot box where visitors can share their opinions and the best line formulated on escapism will win a £100 Art Gift Voucher. Samuel and David have both captured Cromer and Norfolk in their very unique ways yet they have both captured the unique spirit and atmosphere of the place.  Find out more about the exhibition by going online here: www.samuelthomasart.co.uk/BLOG

25^th Oct – 1^st Nov              11am – 6pm        

Function Room, Red Lion, Cromer                      FREE

Artist Websites:     www.samuelthomasart.co.uk          www.davidmorrisphotographer.com