David Rae won a Jackson’s Choice Award in Jackson’s Art Prize this year with his work Firestone 6. In this interview, he discusses the relevance of yellow, starting to paint less familiar places, and how a break can be a good thing.
Above image: David in his studio
Firestone 6, 2020
David Rae
Oil on canvas, 170 x 115 cm | 66.9 x 45.2 in
Josephine: Could you tell us about your artistic background?
David: I’m not quite sure how or when exactly, I guess I always did some drawing and painting growing up, especially in winter when it was more miserable outside. I always wanted to go to art school, so that part was an easy decision. I studied in Aberdeen at Grays School of Art, graduating in 2017. I’ve been based in Edinburgh since 2021. Places and landscapes have always been at the forefront of my work, with the absence of figures being a constant.
David Rae’s studio
Josephine: What does a typical working day in the studio look like for you? Do you have any important routines or rituals?
David: I try to get there by 9:00 am and look at where things are, and make a plan for the day. Usually I try to work on at least a couple of paintings so I don’t get too bogged down on any particular one. If I’m able to work on paintings at differing stages, that’s always a bonus. I usually start with coffee to try and get myself going.
The Original Racecourse, 2023
David Rae
Oil on canvas, 150 x 100 cm | 59.1 x 39.4 in
Josephine: Which materials or tools could you not live without?
David: I use a lot of whites and blacks in my work, so I’m not sure I could live without those. I’m exploring more with Michael Harding paints lately and becoming ever reliant on them, especially for certain pockets of colour. Certain works can be quite precision-heavy, so for those, I couldn’t live without measuring tapes and rulers. Also, large flat brushes for paintings where I want a really even, flat background.
Art materials
Josephine: Do you work from a reference? What is your process?
David: I often work from many references, my own photos, and images I’ve collected. I work with place, most importantly, and often the paintings are a combination of different references. I guess the process involves combining these factors until I’m happy with the composition. I’ve been getting more interested in found and digital imagery, which I think is going to influence future works. Up until now, I’d describe my recent works as a fusion of a number of real places, ultimately making somewhere believable but never ‘visitable’. I think the new works will be slightly different.
Studio study
Josephine: Do you regularly draw or keep a sketchbook? If so, how does this inform your work?
David: I often take my sketchbook when I travel places, sometimes to sketch or even just to note down ideas if something feels important. I think it’s good to get things down on paper rather than keeping them in your head. I guess anything can ultimately be a starting point for a future painting. If I have an idea, I might make a quick drawing, seeing if it actually works or as a reminder to come back to it again in the future. I think at this stage it’s good to just explore things and not focus too much on final paintings.
Study for Shooting Target
Josephine: Have you ever had a period of stagnation in creativity? If so, what helped you overcome it?
David: I’ve had one main period of stagnation around five years ago. I was struggling and just didn’t enjoy being in the studio. I probably wasn’t painting for around 18 months all in. I moved to a new city and a new studio, and thankfully, that change of environment gave me some motivation again. I think having a break can probably be a good thing, even if it doesn’t feel like it at the time. Maybe you look at things differently when you’re detached from them slightly.
Shooting Target 7, 2024
David Rae
Oil on canvas, 115 x 80 cm | 45.3 x 31.5 in
Josephine: Are there any specific artists or mentors who have inspired you?
David: I guess people like Hurvin Anderson and George Shaw have always been big heroes of mine. Or someone like Anselm Kiefer, just for the sheer scale and impact of the works. At Grays School of Art I had a few good tutors, particularly Andrew Cranston, who was brilliant, and it’s great to see how well he’s doing now.
Studio wall
Josephine: What were you thinking about or exploring at the time you painted Firestone 6? What inspired it, and how did it come to be?
David: I was exploring a moment in Scottish history when football and golf were banned as they were deemed to be taking over from military training. The paintings explored Edingham military site on the outskirts of my hometown as if golf and football had in fact ‘taken over’. I was researching Firestone Country Club in Ohio, which has a massive water tower that can be seen from all across the resort. In this particular painting, the landscape from the Edingham military site was depicted as if Firestone C.C. had ‘taken over’. It’s a little more subtle than some of the paintings from the same series, but the water tower can be seen on the hill in the distance.
Pine Valley, 2024
David Rae
Oil on canvas, 170 x 110 cm | 66.9 x 43.3 in
Josephine: Why did this piece feel like the right one to submit?
David: I think it’s maybe one of the best paintings I’ve made in recent years. On the face of it, it looks just like a landscape, but when you look closer, you discover there’s a bit more going on. I think the strong colour also adds intrigue and changes it slightly. It takes up much of the painting as the yellow sky reflects in the water. I think it feels like a very still painting, maybe too still, almost uncomfortable, which is what I wanted to capture. I like how it has a feeling of hope, but also some kind of despair and loneliness.
Josephine: How did it feel to move through the stages in the competition and win a Jackson’s Choice Award?
David: It’s a great feeling, and of course, it gives you confidence in what you’re doing, that the judges see something in the work. When you see the number of entries, it’s amazing to make it to the final shortlist, and even better to be chosen for an award.
Work in progress
Josephine: Do you work from life, memory, or photographs?
David: I never really work from life, in the past I have gone and drawn on location in places I want to use. Most of the time, though, I’m working from photographs I’ve taken or imagery sourced from researching. Memory can also be important in certain works. Often, the paintings become a combination of a number of different images, turning the initial setting for the painting into something quite different. I’m getting more interested in sourced imagery and working less with places I’m familiar with.
Studio images
Josephine: Is there significance in the yellow sky in Firestone 6 and a few other of your paintings? Which paint colours do you use, or is it a singular tube? (Could it be Yellow Lake?!)
David: The yellow skies have been something I’ve explored on and off since graduating. I guess everyone’s had that moment when the sky almost seems golden. In the works, I guess I’m almost trying to replicate that, but see how far I can push it and ultimately still have it read as a landscape. I suppose it could be like sunrise or sunset, but the time isn’t really important, just that it feels familiar somehow. The colour is normally mixed from Cadmium Yellow, Pyrrole Orange, and Titanium White. In some variations I’ve added Lemon Yellow or Ochre.
Studio table
Josephine: Are there any new techniques or ideas you’re excited to explore using the materials from your prize?
David: I’ve moved into a new, larger studio, so I’m keen to push my work further and work on a larger scale. I’m also keen to keep experimenting with colour, so I’m excited to see how that works with my new ideas. I’ve been working with digital images as opposed to ‘real’ places for a little while, and I think they’ll appear in new paintings.
Watercolours
Josephine: What’s coming up next for you?
David: I’ve spent a lot of the past year doing some travel and had around nine months away from the studio. I made lots of small watercolours in my time away, and I plan to turn some of those into larger pieces. I’m hoping to be showing some work in a group show in London in November, so that’s definitely something to look forward to.
Further Reading
Meet Eleanor Johnson, Winner of Jackson’s Art Prize 2025
Jackson’s Art Prize 2025 Exhibition at Affordable Art Fair
How We Collaborate With Artists
Expert Advice on Making Your Way as an Artist
Shop Oil Painting on jacksonsart.com
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