Inspired to capture the human form, Rolland Day began drawing at age seven. After the tragic death of his mother, Rolland painted dark pieces… many of these are religious, allegorical. The mystery and peace of the Bible guided Rolland through his mourning and into a stronger phase of his art. “Much of my early work is soaked in darkness. Years later, God gave me a new friend…J. Bare Wilson, who became like a mother and mentor to me.
J. Bare Wilson was a crystal-voiced eighty-year-old artist when she and Rolland met. Her credentials include the 1976 showing of her work in the United States’ Bicentennial Celebration exhibit, “American Painters in Paris.”
In the early 1980s, Wilson visited Rolland’s studio. Returning a few days later, Wilson handed over the knives, oil and training that give Rolland’s work a stunning impasto texture. Meaning “thick” the Italian word impasto describes an artist’s technique to paint oils with a knife. The result is one of dashing precision. Light curvettes in waves of oil. Says Wilson,
“Rolland is an exceptional talent. His religious work evokes Georges Roualt. Rolland is unusually self-motivated…his spirit comes from God.”
Rolland Day’s art asks universal questions…Individual or community? Risk or security? The female form in all its fragile mystery versus the steadfast known of abstract building blocks of color. “Starting out it never occurred to me that I could make money from my art. I painted because I had unfulfilled creativity. I needed to say more. In finding my original style, I have found myself.”
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