Gilded Souls
Exploring the struggles of life that make us deeper, more beautiful people.
Gilded Souls
In this new body of work, I continue my exploration of the human form while introducing a bold visual language that intertwines classical realism with abstraction and gold leaf. Drawing inspiration from Klimpt and Mucha, each painting reflects the resilience and grace that emerge through transformation.
The gold leaf is a metaphor for life’s refining experiences - moments that challenge and strengthen us, ultimately revealing something more beautiful than before. The figures in Gilded Souls embody this duality of strength and fragility, dissolving into gilded patterns that mirror the depth of emotion and stories within each piece.
"Precocity" 12x9 inches. Oil and 23K Gold. $4,000
"Mischief" 12x9 inches. Oil and 23K Gold. $4,000
"Innocence" 10x8 inches. Oil and 23K Gold. $3,500
"Wanderlust" 10x8 inches. Oil and 23K Gold. $3,500
"Eutierra" 10x8 inches. Oil and 23K Gold. $3,500
"Gluttony" 64x32 inches. Oil and Gold. $30,000
"Play" 14x7 inches. Oil and Gold. $3,500
"Atlas" 10x8 inches. Oil and 18K Gold. $24,000
"Finer Things" 28x14 inches. Oil and 24K Gold. $8,500
"Release" 18x24 inches. Oil and Gold. $9,000
"Sorrow" 33x33 inches. Oil and 24K Gold. $16,000
"Dysania" 28x48 inches. Oil and 18K Gold. $17,000
"Idolization" 10x8 inches. Oil and Gold. $12,000
"Daydream" 15x15 inches. Oil and 24K Gold. $5,500
"Uncertainty" 60x36 inches. Oil and Gold. $30,000
"Apprehension" 24x16 inches. Oil and Gold. SOLD
"Enthralled" 18x14 inches. Oil and 18K Gold. $6,500
"Cleanse" 9x12 inches. Oil and 23K Gold. $4,000
"Internalize" 32x18 inches. Oil and 24K Gold. $10,000
"Creation" 32x18 inches. Oil and 24K Gold. $11,000
"Cocoon" 24x40 inches. Oil and 24K Gold. $15,000
Press Release
In his newest body of work, Rees presents a breathtaking continuation and transformation of the classical figurative style that earned him early acclaim. Known for his romantic, flowing depictions of the human form—often evoking the spirit of Alphonse Mucha—Rees now introduces a powerful new visual language that weaves together gold leaf, abstraction, and symbolic storytelling.
Drawing inspiration from masters like Gustav Klimt and AlphonseMucha, Gilded Souls marks a bold progression in Rees’s 15-year artistic journey. Each painting balances formal realism with design-driven abstraction, featuring dynamic backgrounds, thickly applied paint, and intricate gold leaf patterning that reflects both physical and emotional luminosity.
“Gold leaf represents the enhanced beauty and value of experiences that push us further,” Rees explains. “It’s about the journey—the hardships that refine and define us, much like kintsugi pottery, where broken pieces are mended with gold to become more beautiful than before.”
Anchored in classical techniques yet modern in execution, Rees’s figures—women holding up the world like Atlas, others lost in books, partially dissolving into gilded abstraction—convey the tension between vulnerability and strength. Each work invites the viewer to consider the quiet battles of life, and how perseverance imbues the soul with unexpected brilliance.
Rees reimagines scenes and references from his past work—figures in white dresses, plein air landscapes, and English countryside interiors—breaking them down into abstract designs that using them as the backgrounds for these new paintings, while elevating their emotional resonance. This merging of realism and abstraction challenges the viewer to contemplate not only the artwork, but the beauty found in transformation.
Save the Date: December 20, 2025 6:30-9:30pm
Please join me in my studio for some refreshments and a showing of the final pieces of Gilded Souls: the Love series.
These 3 pieces, all proportionally the same, depict a path of love that can (all too often) destroy us. Those who learn to escape the viscous cycle and offer their heart again, having learnt from the past, can experience a deeper, more beautiful love.
Love I: The Temptation
Love II: The Kiss
Love III: The Manipulation
The full images will be released online after the Studio Opening, December 20th, 2025. 6:30-9:30PM
The Griffin. 3234 N Scottsdale Rd. Scottsdale, AZ 85251
RSVP is required to gain access to the building.
For parking instruction and building entrance instructions, please email Tim@ReesFineArt.com
More Press About Gilded Souls
“New pieces include Apprehension, in which the gold leaf dances at the edge of the figure. In other works, such as Cocoon, the gold leaf is applied in layers that mimic large brushstrokes, each one catching the light from a different angle.”
Michael Clawson, -American Art Collector“His overall objective is, in his own words, ‘To add to the inherent beauty of the world while exploring what it means to be human through the visual experience of paint.’ Mission accomplished.”
-Fine Art Connoisseur“Bonner David Galleries is pleased to announce Gilded Souls, a solo exhibition by acclaimed figurative artist Timothy Rees…”
-Southwest Contemporary
“Bonner David Galleries Debuts 2 Exhibits”
-Scottsdale Progress