All posts tagged: art

My 2016 in summery

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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 …

New Release – Sea Life and Majestic Mammals

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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. 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 …

Courty – The Godfather of Neon

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‘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, …

Eye Like Gallery / Exhibition

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  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 …

Laura Jones / Still Life Artist / Inspiration

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An artist I have admired for around 6 months via the stalking platform of Instagram, is Australian painter Laura Jones. I stumbled upon her Instagram page (@_laura_jones_ ) and immediately followed. With a meaty backlog of exhibitions, shows, awards and residencies her accomplishments have been as full as her engaging artwork. Although I love her whole back catalog of work including a portrait series titled ‘I woke up like this’ my favourite is her recent ‘Wildflower’ work which emphasises an expression of Australian identity. I find her work so warm and peaceful. The colour patterns are incredibly earthy while retaining the brightness of the flowers and vases. They are full and bold in application but soft by nature. I identify most to the tactful naivety of the brush strokes as well as the simplicity of the visuals. I very much hope to own one of these originals! This is the kind of artwork that I feel doesn’t need discussing at great length, it should be looked at and examine how you feel when you see it above dissecting …

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.