KATY JADE DOBSON

Latest Posts

‘Jaws’ – Shark Painting

Published by katyjade

I am very excited that my original painting ‘Jaws’ is being made into a limited edition print, with editions of 75.

It is a privilege that this piece is endorsed by The Shark Trust, a wonderful charity.

The misunderstood nature of sharks means that their demise as a species is hugely overlooked. Their importance within the marine ecosystem is of such huge importance to the health of our oceans. There are many threats to sharks that can have adverse knock on affects. The global decline of sharks can create a cascading effect. As one of the ocean’s top predators, sharks have potential to structure ecosystems in crucial ways. Decline can mean rearrangement of marine communities.

One of the biggest threats to sharks globally is overfishing. This is fuelled by a large demand for shark products such as meat and fins, cartilage, leather, teeth and jaws. Other threats include finning (the cruel practice of cutting off a shark’s fins whilst alive. Also, pollution and habitat destruction contribute to the hugely declining numbers. Climate change and pollution play a large part, meaning that oceanic species are not living in the nourishing environment they need to survive.

The Shark Trust works against all of this with a 20 year track record in science-based shark conservation.

One of the many things I love about the Shark’s Trust and their work is the commitment to changing perceptions on sharks to a positive one in the public’s eye. By allowing access to data, and supporting decent education about shark conservation within museums, public aquariums, coastal visitor centres and schools, the outlook on sharks will hopefully change.

It fills me with great pride for ‘Jaws’ to be endorsed by, and with a percentage of profits going straight to The Sharks Trust.

‘Jaws’ / Original Oil Painting / Limited Editions of 75

With this painting done in vivid oil paints I hoped to soften what is usually known to be an aggressive and cruel creature. Usually portrayed in dark shades, I opted for a light background and jewel colours, hoping to move emphasis over to appreciating sharks, their shape, and grandeur!

‘Humpback’ / Original Oil Painting / Limited Editions of 75

The scale of this original oil painting is parallel to the vast size of a beautiful humpback whale. This piece is 72″ long, something I had wanted to work on for some time. With this piece I hoped to capture an elegance to such a huge and magnificent creature.

If you are interested in the the prints or originals, or would like further information, please look at the affiliate galleries page on my website HERE – Or contact Wishbone Publishing at info@wishboneart.co.uk who will direct you to your nearest gallery!

Social Media, Art and where I have been!

Published by katyjade

The past year for me has meant a slight distance from painting for the best reason.

In 2018 I spent a vast majority of the year working on something that in the end, I didn’t feel was good enough to release as a collection. This work has stayed private and ongoing, and hopefully one day I will be able to call it complete. For now, it is one of the first times I have felt that I couldn’t quite meet the challenge that I had set for myself. I took this quite hard, as I have always stepped up to my own personal goals with painting, however it is good to know there is still so much to improve upon and aspire towards. I did manage to work on a collection named Dawn Chorus based on bird species from around the world, this made my heart glow and reinstalled my love for painting. Just after finishing this collection, I had my son Reuben. I continued to paint in small doses to ease myself back into work, from just a week after he was born. I did this not only because I can’t seem to go too long without picking up a paint brush, but I had also spent the better part of a year working on a project that never made it to the end product. I am lucky enough to call my passion a job, and also lucky enough to work from home and be with Reuben. However my time has been split and limited!

During my pregnancy I had moved home, “gave up” for the moment on one body of work and started/completed another, and therefore distanced ever so slightly from social media. Social media has been an important outlet for my work since 2013, when I made the majority of my sales online. I worked hard to research how to use social media, as well as gathering a lovely, like minded following for my work and its progression. On returning to social media, it had changed. A lot.

When talking to people about Instagram’s new algorithm which took the timeline from chronological, to a new format, these conversations seemed heated and annoyed. Why would these social media sites stop showing us the posts of the accounts we have followed? For anyone unaware of the change, the algorithm detects posts that you have previously engaged with (comments/likes) and shows you more of this material. If you clicked ‘like’ on a photo of a poison dart frog, you will see more poison dart frogs… I personally like a poison dart frog from time to time, but it doesn’t mean I want to see a stream of them as I scroll. This is all in the name of profit. Instagram/Facebook can then ask you to pay for adverts to have your post seen by the very people who initially chose to follow you.

As someone who profited from these platforms, I can wholeheartedly understand why Instagram and Facebook would chose to charge, and profit from the apps they created, which have previously helped many people build lucrative and profitable business profiles.

I am choosing to continue writing blog posts to reach my original audience, and hopefully send out a more personal and detailed run down of the work I do, how I do it and what I have been up to, for anyone that may be interested! I will post links from my social media accounts so you know when there will be a post! As I plan for the year ahead it would be great to hear from you, what sort of posts you like and what you would like to know about through my blog posts! I would also like to start a Facebook group of a community of artists, where we can share our preferences in materials/techniques etc and chat about art, artists and help one another out! If this is something you may be interested in please let me know!

If you are reading this, thank you wholeheartedly for supporting my art work.

Katy x

The Dawn Chorus Collection

Published by katyjade

Dawn Chorus

Nature’s greatest orchestra rivals many naturally occurring miracles each morning, as bird species from around the world mark their territory, make their presence known to mates, or call upon their flock in an enthusiastic symphony. A dawn chorus.

Ranging from the beautifully delicate or well camouflaged species found in English woodlands, to the ostentatious birds of paradise parading around Indonesian forests. The intricate markings used for mating or territorial displays make perfect subjects and the plethora of species to celebrate is infinite.

By encompassing the subjects in the beautiful colour ways that make them so mesmerising, I have hoped to capture the nature of each species in full concert. With extravagant blends of bright colours and bold textures, mixed with subtle areas of calm and reserve this collection of oil paintings was created to compliment the avian subjects through thoughtful composition and a love for the elegance of birds all around the world.

For any information on this collection contact info@wishboneart.co.uk or one of the many wonderful galleries listed on my website here! (Wishbone Publishing will help you locate a gallery close to you)

Paradise

Birds of paradise / Original Oil Painting / 45 Limited Edition Prints +5APs (2 sizes – small and regular)

Plumage

Flamingos / Original Oil Painting / 45 Limited Edition Prints +5APs (2 sizes – small and regular)

Pretty Polly

Parrots / Original Oil Painting / 45 Limited Edition Prints +5APs (2 sizes – small and regular)

Dawn

Doves / Original Oil Painting / 45 Limited Edition Prints +5APs (2 sizes – small and regular)

Dusk

Doves / Original Oil Painting / 45 Limited Edition Prints +5APs (2 sizes – small and regular)

Concentration

King Fishers / Original Oil Painting / 45 Limited Edition Prints +5APs (2 sizes – small and regular)

Solstice

Summer British Birds / Original Oil Painting / 45 Limited Edition Prints +5APs (2 sizes – small and regular)

Tropics

Tropical birds / Original Oil Painting

Ostentation

Peacocks / Original Oil Painting

Woodland

British Woodland Birds / Original Oil Painting

Chattering

Starlings / Original Oil Painting

Fundraising

Published by katyjade

On Friday I will be spending the night sleeping rough for the Sleep Easy event 2017 to raise money for Lincoln’s YMCA, helping homeless and vulnerable people.

Last year, on a very bitterly cold and rainy night, an unnamed homeless man died behind a church close to where I live. When I heard this I was stricken with the thought that if anyone had known he was there or knew his situation, they may have helped him and he could have survived the night. This played on my mind as I took a bunch of flowers to lay next to the church, I didn’t know where exactly he had died, but I was expecting to find other flowers laid by other people (ex family members, friends, anyone who cared…) only to find that no flowers had been left.

As far as reports claimed he was an ‘unnamed homeless man.’ Although before his situation declined he was a son. He may have been a father, or at once a husband, brother, friend etc. This haunted me throughout the year as I think about him often (never knowing his face/name/anything about him) in order to keep some respect alive for him, whoever he was.

There is a detrimental and damaging stigma surrounding the support of homeless charities, or the aid of homeless people. Stigmas such as “they’ll only spend it on drugs or alcohol” or “they’re not really homeless, it’s a con.”

I am taking part in the Sleep Easy campaign because I care that on cold, bitter nights, many people are sleeping rough. For whatever reason, this is a harsh reality. Some people do not have an easy life, they may not make the right choices or they may fall onto hard times or bad luck. Whatever their reasons, we should come together to help people through these vulnerable times without judgement.

I would be incredibly grateful if your were to sponsor me for my night of sleeping rough. Amongst others also fundraising for this event, we are allowed to make shelter out of cardboard, and will be sleeping over night outside Lincoln Cathedral, whatever the weather, in support of this wonderful charity!

HERE is the link for my fundraising page if you do wish to support my fundraising efforts, however your lovely messages of well wishes are equally appreciated! Thank you so so much to the incredibly generous people who have donated already, I am grateful beyond words for your support!

Evolution of my Flamingos / Katy Jade Dobson

Published by katyjade

Did anyone else laugh at the flamingos on Planet Earth II?

It is obvious then as an animal lover and colour lover combined, that flamingos would come up throughout my portfolio of work. In fact, they come up much further back than I remembered from the top of my head. Sifting through my past paintings I found a set of similar works that have evolved over time and gown in my experience. It appears that I loved flamingos just as much in 2012.

Sitting these paintings side by side will always be inspirational to me, to show myself just how far I can push my work if I want to. Working on your art, or anything at all, can take years of daily dedication and pure hard work. I have applied this to my art with patience and looseness to help me grow. I have let my gut instinct walk me, and through that I have taught myself to paint images as I want them to be seen and will continue to grow further.

Please take a look at my brief history of flamingo studies, shown below!

Contact info@wishboneart.co.uk to inquire about paintings/prints or availability

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017 / Katy Jade Dobson

Published by katyjade

It is always exciting for me to reflect not only back on the previous year, but to look forwards at the opportunities and challenges and watching them become real.

Currently I am working on a new collection.

Much like early last year, I am working hard on a full set of oil paintings that are interlinked, their concept is laced throughout the collection and their visuals are woven together. Working on a full set together is a piece of time that eventually reflects directly into a real, tangible ‘thing.’ I have often talked about pockets of time being mirrored in a painting, but a collection evokes both a memory of a period of time, or a feeling of de ja vu. This particular collection is exciting for me, and always, is an effort to push forward with my craft, honing, building on, and learning new skills.

As well as an impending new collection, I have other very exciting things going on this year, which I will certainly be notifying anyone interested, though this website, my Facebook page, Instagram, and Twitter.

Please keep an eye out for the amazing things happening this year!

My 2016 in summery

Published by katyjade

Although on the broader spectrum of things, 2016 has been a tough year for so many people in many places, on a smaller and more personal scale I have known people to have had a great year, filled with personal achievements and good times.

Early last year I worked solidly on a collection named The 21 Grams Collection. (See in full here) which was a great achievement for me. It was a body of work, full to the brim with enthusiasm and everything I had gained in knowledge and skill of art and my craft in order to create it. It was a personal highlight and achievement for me. This collection was shown in its entirety at Robertson Fine Art Gallery in Edinburgh, a place so stunning that I ventured back for the Edinburgh Fringe Festival later that year.

Amongst this show, I visited some other beautiful galleries throughout the year to showcase new originals and prints. A standout for me was Eye Like Gallery in Beaconsfield. A wonderful gallery full of life and enthusiasm for their art that they proudly display in their family run gallery. It was a great night of talking to lovely people about art and the gallery, and I appreciated just how much time and effort they put into this event. They made me proud of my own work and in turn, I felt grateful and honoured to be working with such wonderful people.

The lovely George Thornton Gallery were the first to showcase some very Limited Edition embellished canvas prints at his event, Artisan showed a group of darker originals which had a moodier atmosphere, and Gallery Rouge dedicated their top level of the gallery to showcasing my originals and prints. I also head to the new gallery Eaton Fine Art who I am excited to be working more with in 2017. Each were so welcoming with kind clients who were a pleasure to speak to! I found myself at the Grand Designs event in London, where I proudly displayed new originals and prints in what I liked to very obnoxiously call ‘Katy Corner’… with EyeBall Gallery

I had the pleasure of donating a print to the Born Free Foundation to be made available for their auction, to which Gary Liniker bought a print of ‘Felid II.’ I also released a small collection of sealife pieces where a percentage of profits went to the Marine Conservation Society. I proudly donated my palette for the second year running to the amazing CRY which was sold at auction. I also donated a small painting to the Willow Foundation for their Stars on Canvas event, which was available to buy at auction, and also on the cover of their annual brochure. These connections make me so incredibly proud of what I do, and so happy that I can use something I enjoy to hopefully do some good.

2016 also took me on a series of travels from a fun weekend in Amsterdam, to dancing through the streets of Prague. A cancelled flight left me in the UK when I should have been in Barcelona, however the highlight of my year was a trip to Cuba, An absolute dream come true starting in Havana and ending in Varadero, and whenever I look at photos my heart swells.

It was a place of raw beauty, even in impoverished areas, the soul and character was palpable. Learning about the history and way of life in Cuba was hard, and experiencing the locals in Havana and their beautiful city made me feel alive. The way of life is a happy one. It is slow paced, highly sociable, warm and lovely. We drank rum, smoked cuban cigars, swam in the ocean, took boat rides, rode horses, went to coffee plantations, rode around in vintage cars and just fell madly and deeply in love with Cuba.

It was a wonderful year for me, making headway in personal terms in confronting an anxiety disorder which can interferre with life at times, I have made connections with people I never imagined and focused on the wonderful, warm people around me. I have reflected on my time using social media and focusing on painting as a profession and have become more inspired than ever.

There is a blog post to follow about my plans for 2017, I am happy and confident with thanks to the wonderful support and teamwork of Wishbone Publishing. Not everyone gets to work amongst people they consider as friends, and feel the support and trust as much as I do. Together we have great plans for the year ahead and I cannot wait to share them with you, whoever is reading this and has followed the progress of my work.

For any information on any of my works, originals or prints, feel free to send an inquiry to info@wishboneart.co.uk / or look the affiliated gallery list on my website

New Release – Sea Life and Majestic Mammals

Published by katyjade

I am so excited to be donating a percentage of profits from my new sea life themed release to the Marine Conservation Society. They work hard to protect our living seas and the wildlife in them by keeping shores clean of litter, tackling overfishing of important species and offering marine life animal adoption schemes. Keeping our oceans clean and healthy for the environment and its inhabitants is invaluable work. I love what they do to proudly protect our sea life and I am thrilled to be working with them.

14322485_1677502585911417_8085670088088762401_n

14316721_1677502595911416_7385038785836492631_n

These 2 original paintings are particular favourites of mine, for reasons in that portraying sea life is a different challenge altogether. I had never painted turtles before working on these sea turtles which shows them swimming amongst a midst of intricate colours and textures. I had watched videos of these serene creatures on YouTube before deciding the way in which I wanted to depict them. When working on forming a mammal painting there is a logic to consider when building the subject. The light source will highlight features and muscle definition, which in turn will tell the onlooker how the animal is standing in accordance to its environment. The laws of physics can guide you into understanding the animal and how its body works and gently reminds you of an elephants sagging skin, or a deer’s slender and lithe legs. This adds the touches of likeness and care to the subject that I long to add to each painting. This shows the subject in all of its glory in what it can do in the wild and how its body works, while helping me to paint a picture (literally) of what this animal looks like in conjunction with all of this.

Sea life is weightless. Their movements are not aligned with the laws of gravity in order to get from place to place. Instead, the movements are adapted to move through the density of the ocean. Seeing how sea life have adapted over millions of years to their environment is mind blowing to consider. Sharks have their streamlined sleekness to help them glide with unobstructed speed and agility; Whereas jellyfish pulsate to continually launch themselves gently through the ocean. An octopus has the unimaginable capabilities of its tentacles and its powerfully fluid movements, which captivated me into painting my bright representation (shown above) for this collection. When researching these movements you cannot help but be in awe of nature and how perfectly adapted all wildlife and living things are, learning about these movements is one of the highlights of my job.

Another highlight is working with incredible charities who devote their time to the same loves as me. The Marine Conservation Society actively work to protect the future of these species, and at a larger scale the future of our seas which is home to such a huge proportion of important species and environmental necessities. For this reason they were a first choice in hopes of donating a percentage of profits from my new sea life release to this charity and their amazing work. In reality, such ecosystems that hold priceless importance should be respected and looked after to keep them abundant and safe for us and all the life that inhabits these oceans. However according to the MCS there are nearly 2500 items of rubbish for every kilometre on a beach. Which as a result not only looks appalling, but is also ingested by or entangles marine wildlife. Humans using these beaches are also not exempt from the effects of the pollution that makes these seas risky to enjoy, swimming in such heavily polluted seas can put you at risk of illness from the raw, untreated sewage.

It is the MCS’s work in this field that is a great inspiration to me and make them a valuable asset to the cause of wildlife and sea life protection. It makes me incredibly proud that I can work with them on this to hopefully help raise funds for their admirable work.

These Limited Edition Prints in editions of 75 are available from affiliated galleries as of Monday 19th September. To find your nearest gallery head to my website (linked here) or for assistance send an email to info@wishboneart.co.uk

Also, alongside this release are 3 other new paintings, recently shown at the wonderful Artisan Gallery in Epping.

Courty – The Godfather of Neon

Published by katyjade

‘There’s red neon gas running through my veins.’

Much like the bold and commanding nature of neon art, Courty himself radiates a parallel presence that you simply couldn’t ignore if you tried. As an artist who has immersed himself into almost 3 decades of fine tuning his skill in the art of neon, Robert Court respectfully demands your attention through his use of light, colour and the written word.

Robert Court began his career in 1987. His rich portfolio of work and achievements have illuminated a pathway towards being one of the most prominant neon artists of proud London origin. His bold work has featured in film and tv sets, theatre, books, and businesses, as well as prestigious galleries and events. Courty is signed by Wishbone Publishing (the wonderful team who also represent my work) this has awarded me the privilege of seeing Courty’s work emblazoning gallery walls in all their brilliant glory. His work is hand made with pure passion and enthusiasm, distincly obvious from the emanating love shown in his fantastic artist interview, put together by Joshua Adams.

The pride in his craft is palpable.

Neon art is a classic genre of the modern age. A traditional and respected practice of the technologically advanced era. A contemporary art form which simultaneously parades a time-honoured essence through from the classic seedy strip club signs to the witty humour or hard hitting messages encrypted within the written neon word. There always seems to be an audacious overtone to neon. It has something to say and wants to be seen. It is created to grab you, it screams and shouts for your attention. It flaunts its colours with attitude as bright as the colliding atoms, ions and electrons that run through it.

However some messages are incredibly gentle and moving, no matter how bold the process. Pieces such as this ‘I will always love you my friend.’ which has had immeasurable hits online for its poignant words and simply beautiful delivery.

When such a technical process combines with an artisan attitude the result could never be anything short of magical. Glass blowing has been a long time tradition, however throwing electricity through the pipes fires up a whole other level of art. The words are no longer just made, but instead they’re spoken and more tangible than ever. The nature of this craft is not vague, it does not hide behind subtleties, nor does it aim to be elusive.

Neon is made to be seen.

Courty’s work is warm. It is witty, cutting, and as bold as the nature of neon itself.

Find the work of Robert Court HERE! Also on his Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. Contact Wishbone Publishing for enquiries – info@wishboneart.co.uk

Eye Like Gallery / Exhibition

Published by katyjade

Last weekend I had the privilege of exhibiting my work with the wonderful Eye Like Gallery in Beaconsfield. With a gallery full of my work exclusively, a mixture of limited edition prints and originals painted especially for the occasion adorned the walls in this beautiful space.

The family run gallery (the glamorous mother daughter duo Mollie and Saro above, along with Mollie’s father and their dog Brody) care deeply for their clients and the artwork they provide, basing the name ‘Eye Like’ on the way they only sell work that they love themselves.

I was excited so attend this exhibition in the weeks leading towards it as I had admired Mollie’s innovative and witty take on their social media platforms (Instagram, Twitter, Facebook) and was keen to meet in person the passionate people behind the 2 year old gallery. I found that they exuberate passion and I couldn’t have felt more welcome. I found this family to be a breath of fresh air in such a traditional field. The care and work they put in is blatant in the amount of happy clients that I had the pleasure to meet.

The gallery itself looked phenomenal, with a red carpet entrance, wristbands with my name on, plenty of drinks flowing and a wonderful crowd of people.

Thank you very much to Eye Like for hosting a lovely evening and doing a fantastic job of curating my work on your walls and putting together such a lovely weekend. And a huge thank you to anyone who came along and said hello, it was lovely to meet each person and talk at length one on one.

Below are images mostly taken by the wonderful Victoria Pearson Photography who got some great images of the event. (Victoria Pearson’s website, Instagram, Facebook)