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Harambe, Wildlife and Human Compassion

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I love wildlife. Could you possibly tell? I am the girl who paints animals.  This hobby of mine comes from a place of pure appreciation. I am fascinated and so wildly in awe of everything about wildlife, all species, none, no matter what size, instincts or habits they behold go without my adoration. I live in wonder at how such creatures could be of such flawless and spectacular design. Millions of years of adaptation has created so much supremacy and beauty, species that slot perfectly into their environments and know exactly how to live as a default setting. Having been moulded by evolution over such a vast period of time adds to the insanity yet absolute logic of such perfection.  All the way from a stick insect, over to a silverback gorilla. Gorillas are my favourite species of wildlife. They are my all time favourite to paint. I love their build, their intellect, their expressive faces. I love both their strength and sensitivity, their protective nature and fierce instincts. I just love them. But I do …

Virtue – A painting ensouled

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It has so  far been rare that I connect to a painting that I produced quite as much as I did with Virtue: a light and ethereal take on a flock of doves. I enjoy working on every painting, some I would keep for myself and some I couldn’t wait to show the world and allow someone else to connect. Hoping for others to connect with your artwork is a pointless effort, it can only really be seen as you would like, if you paint with the intentions of making yourself feel a certain way. Only then, maybe someone else can channel into its meaning or create their own. I love this about art. Production based from feelings gives a timeless result to the artist. ‘Virtue’ came together incredibly fast for a painting of its vast size but tricky and slight proportions. It is often the case that when working so close to a large scale painting, you can become lost in the finer details, only to be surprised by what you produced when stepping away. It can …

Exhibiting at Robertson Fine Art Gallery

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In the heart of Edinburgh, in the wonderful Robertson Fine Art Gallery I had the privilege of exhibiting my new collection of oil paintings. I had been working on this group of paintings throughout early 2016 and became quickly engrossed in the collection as a whole. I tailed off into new sections, irrelevant subjects that still laced in throughout the main body of work and played around with more muted palettes and ideas alongside hugely embellished subjects . To see more of The 21 Grams Collection, see the work and read about its origin – click here. I was incredibly nervous to be showing this work. It had been months of dedication, hoping to put my best foot forward to prove to myself that I can challenge my own techniques and build on what I already know about painting to create the marks and flourishes that I needed. I taught myself new approaches through trial and error and got lost in a concept of building continuously until I had reached the desired effect. So much so, …

The 21 Grams Collection / Katy Jade Dobson

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21 Grams A painting is the artist’s sigh on a canvas, the silhouette of their shadow, and their 21 grams. An early 20th Century physician hoped to measure the mass of the human soul. He believed it to weigh 21 grams. Thought to be as real and prominent as a vital organ, yet no physical attributes could be found. Artists and scientists alike hunted for information on the location of the soul in the body to find that it rests on nothing seen by the eyes. This ideal that represents an entire being does not exist in physicality, yet we see it. Each piece is an appreciation of it’s subject and a love for my inspirations. A collection ensouled and a moment in time captured in a prism, reflecting my everything onto a canvas. Physically, this collection is about texture and atmosphere. Years of techniques, new avenues and an ache to work on my subjects in such a way has driven the visuals of the paintings forward. Finding the best translation for the essence of …

Frequently Asked Questions

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I get asked a lot of questions at exhibitions or through social media. Although I try to catch up on responding to comments, there is currently a lag. As a way of answering some of the very commonly asked questions regarding me and my work, I have compiled a list of FAQs to answer some! What materials do you use? I paint in oil paints. A few years ago I tried my hand at mixed media work, and have also dabbled with watercolours. Aside from my sketches (which are mostly charcoal or graphite) I work exclusively in oil paints. Oil paints are given a stigma for being difficult to use. Too thick, too hard to use, too long to dry… etc. This depends on how you paint and use your materials. For me, oil paints were the only option in moving forwards with my work, the traditional and classic tools for painting. (In my opinion) Because I had my heart set on painting with oils, I figured out how to make the material work for …

New Limited Editons / Born Free Foundation

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Introducing two new Limited Edition Prints ‘Felid I & II’  These two colourful feline pieces, originally are oil on wood panel, but have been released as editions of 75, with 10 Artist Proof copies and are fully endorsed by the Born Free Foundation. I worked with the Born Free Foundation for The Spectrum Collection with a percentage of proceeds donated to the charity, proudly raising over £4000 The Born Free Foundation work to end suffering and protect species in the wild by providing rescue and care, freeing animals from appalling conditions and misery as well as conservation efforts. They are a wonderful and dedicated charity and I am hugely proud  to have my work endorsed by them, and hopefully raise money for a great cause, as yet again a percentage of proceeds will be donated straight to their efforts. These Limited Edition prints are now available from affiliate galleries mentioned on my website, look for your local stockist, or contact Wishbone Publishing at info@wishboneart.co.uk where they will locate your nearest available gallery and prints.  

New Collection Launch – March 2016

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As mentioned in a previous post, I have been working lately on a new collection due to be released in spring 2016. I did not waste a moment before diving straight into a batch of pristine white, blank canvases and making as much mess as possible. I am currently knee deep in what is one of my largest collections to date, and no one can save me now.. (Go on without me!) As the paintings have developed and taken shape, I have become increasingly excited to show people what I have been working solidly on, and not being able to show any of it yet is painfully difficult! However a date is now set for the launch of this upcoming collection. I am very excited that Robertson Fine Art in Edinburgh will be showing my entire collection of originals from March 25th 2016. I will be at the venue on Friday 25th March evening from 6pm, and on Saturday 26th from 10am. Thank you Robertson Fine Art for undertaking my mammoth collection! I am beyond excited …

New Collection / Spring 2016

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One of the most beneficial ways for me to work, on a personal level, is to produce a ‘body of work.’ It has been a while since I have worked solidly on a collection of paintings. The Phosphenes Collection was released in spring 2015, which led to a period of being inundated with commission requests, following on from Phosphenes and the Spectrum Collection. (Released Oct 2014) In between this influx of work I have managed to work on subjects and styles that I couldn’t hold back on trying in order to keep up my own personal rate of progression and creativity,  peppering small boutique collections of Limited Edition prints throughout the year. With commission waiting lists reaching up to 12 months for an original, it can become increasingly hard to expand and grow with your style and improve on your talent. Commissions can hold a different type of creative beauty in having a framework to adjust to make your own. If the subject is chosen, or a certain size or shape canvas is necessary, then working to fit these …

Micheal Zavros / Inspiration

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Just a quick internet search can tell you that there is no end to the amount of talented artists in the world. Instagram in particular has been great for unearthing these exquisitely talented humans who happen to document their creations and I love to ‘follow’ them. There is an infinite amount of inspiration that you can gain from looking at and enjoying the work of others, without copying/plagiarising. (A post about this topic in particular to be uploaded soon..) Taking inspiration isn’t about stealing, or at least shouldn’t be! It is noting the feeling you get when you see a particular piece of art and translating that into your own work in your own way. A painting might have an electric energy with movement that leaps out at you. Another might have solemn or moody overtones that gave you a sense of atmosphere when you looked at it. It is more often than not the ‘vibe’ of the painting that you most likely enjoyed. Inspiration should be transferring that feeling/vibe/energy in your own way, to …

The Wildlife Art of Katy Jade Dobson

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Originally posted on GEORGE THORNTON ART:
“Mother and Baby” This young artist, based in Lincoln, (UK) demonstrates her love and understanding of her medium in her ethereal, colour rich paintings of wildlife. Inspired by the work of French artist Odilon Redon, Dobson brings a lavish quality to the animals that she depicts on canvas. Brush strokes, scratches and the sheer exuberance of the laying on of paint make her exciting representations of noble beasts a pleasure to behold. But given the popularity of animals as subject matter, evidenced in the success of David Shepherd’s work over the years, is Dobson’s work the 21st century’s answer to wildlife painting? By way of comparison, David Shepherd’s work ‘Ahmed’ and Katy Jade Dobson’s work ‘His Majesty’ both show a bull elephant in his pride, fully alert and looking frankly magnificent. But how does our response to the different way these beasts are shown evidence a shift in taste in the wildlife genre buying public? Shepherd’s seemingly photo realistic ‘Ahmed’ appears in a dust cloud, set against a tropical…