David began drawing in his playpen at the age of two, equipped with sticks
of charcoal and a full size drawing board.
He's never stopped since, though time and a studio have helped liberate
his work.
Versatile and restless, he
explores and exploits many mediums and subjects. He has an especial
interest in both landscape and life drawing,
and the ambiguities of the ground between the two.
He says: "It's exciting
to move constantly between mediums. Each presents its own challenges
and forces the artist to look at the subject afresh.
I move happily between working in paint on large landscapes, to using
pastels for vigorous life drawings and then on to the very particular
questions posed by print-making."
An award-winning artist who
has exhibited his work widely, his work is in private collections throughout
Britain, in France, Switzerland,
Italy and Germany and as far afield as Hong Kong. In 2005 he was selector
for the Brewery Open Exhibition. In partnership with
Pam Williamson he has worked on a number of installations including
Memory Engine (2004) for the Armitt Museum, Ambleside.
A life-long traveller, he's
visited India twice in recent years, gathering information, images and
experiences that feed his imagination.
More recently he's made two research visits to the Falkland Islands
and his ongoing series of works "The Price of..." continues
to emerge
from these
experiences.
Forays into theatrical design
have led him to work with both the Halle Orchestra (Stockhausen's In
Freundshaft and the Hallephant) and
Bournemouth Sinfonietta (Babar, The Snowman) and on a number of dance
projects.
He is also a free-lance arts
management consultant, working most recently with major national companies
including Welfare State
International and Dance United, and for the Arts Council of England.
He is a member of the South Lakeland Strategic Partnership
and chairs its Cultural task group. He is currently the Chair of Lanternhouse
International.
Work from both his Indian
and Falklands series has featured in solo exhibitions in Kendal (Brewery
Warehouse Gallery) 2007 and
Lichfield (Cathedral Chapterhouse) as part of the Lichfield Festival
2010.
Visitor comments include:
"David's work is beautiful...his use of light and colour is stunning."
FW
"Spiritual, warm, deep- needs a wider audience." EA
"The Falklands paintings are evocative and real."
"Beautiful colours, giving depth and creating atmosphere."
GP
"Beautiful and brooding..."
"The Indian paintings reminded me very much of the Rothko paintings
in their own room at the Tate." ARP
"The luminosity of the paintings evokes a presence and the quality
of something ancient, if not eternal." AO
"They speak to the heart!" KE/PD
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