Here we go!

Here we go!

David Dossett

Acrylic on gallery-wrapped canvas

12” × 24”

Set on a neighbourhood outdoor rink, Here we go! captures a familiar Canadian winter moment under softly falling snow. Five children are in the middle of a spirited game of hockey, framed by a row of brightly coloured houses that add warmth and rhythm to the cold scene.

On the far left, the goalie stands still and observant, stick planted, warching events unfold. At centre ice, tensions have boiled over: two opposing players are locked in a fight, their dropped gloves scattered on the ice, in a tussle on the rink. On the far right, two more players on the other side of the boards, sticks raised, emotions running high, react to the chaos by preparing to join in.

Hockey is Canada’s game, and Dossett leans into both its joy and its intensity. The painting acknowledges how passion can flare when things get tough—how we’re not afraid to stand our ground—but also how regret often follows when the gloves come off. Through the deliberate mixing and sharing of colours between opposing players, the artist suggests a deeper truth: despite differences that lead to conflict, there is a unifying force beneath it all, one that ultimately brings us back together.