Wide Awake Now | Kyril Bruce DeFoor

   "Wide Awake Now"

 24" x 36" oil on canvas

In "Wide Awake Now", I created an entirely new era in contemporary Western Pop art where history and tradition hit head on with my imagination.  It's the inaugural piece in my new series I call "The West Takes the Stage", where history collides with modernity in vibrant oil on canvas.

For years I'd tried to create something that was genuinely new in western art. I've painted hundreds of scenes involving cowboys, native Americans, horses and the like.  I learned a lot from those efforts, but came to realize I was simply rearranging the characters positions inside different landscapes.  It became a challenge for me to concoct a new approach and I think I succeeded.

The concept was birthed from a memory of a toy my mother gave me for Christmas when I was just 5.  It was a 50 piece set of cardboard cowboys and horses in the wild west.  It was like a mini theater set where I reenacted countless western dramas.

That experience inspired the elements of this painting.  I chose an historic landscape by Moran and a cowboy on horseback by Leigh, but joined them together into a sort of surreal theater, complete with overhead spotlight.  The cowboy is obviously surprised by attackers from behind him, hence the title. But "Wide Awake Now" isn't just a title...it's a call to action. It's a reminder to stay vigilant, to confront the challenges of our modern reality with eyes wide open and unafraid. 

Through this painting, I aim to spark curiosity, ignite dialogue, and challenge the norm. For me, its a genuine sea change of whats possible in the world of western art.

My Palette

An artist's palette speaks volumes about a painter and the painting process. On the reverse of this painting you will discover a clear Mylar sheet which was actually used as my palette for this painting. 

I have never laid out my colors in an orderly fashion as most other painters do.  Instead, I've always enjoyed the beauty and excitement of placing my colors in an unpredictable and spontaneous fashion.

(Please note that due to the exclusivity of this painting, we cannot accept returns)