All posts tagged: feature

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 …

Why doodling is so important.

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Every morning when I have a long stretch of painting ahead of me I find it beneficial to doodle before I start anything else. I started sketching as a warm up last year and I found that it kick started something in my brain which made my painting flow much easier. For anything that requires any artistic dimension, drawing is one of the fundamentals to the practice. I have known painters, sculptors, architects, designers and jewellers, and although their finished products are rarely a physical drawing, drawings formed the basics of their work and feature at some point in the process. Despite all of the technology needed for the varying careers that rely on some artistic licence, there is something raw and direct about a drawing that photoshop or CAD just can’t meet with. There is an amazing quality to seeing a sketched logo design with construction marks showing, jewelley designs on graph paper, or raw and fast architectural studies in sketchbooks. Being able to draw out what you see in your mind is a way of …

Exhibiting at Smart Gallery – Redbrick

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In September I made my way to Smart Gallery in Leeds where they were showing a few originals, some new and unveiled on the day, and exclusive new limited edition prints. It is always a lot of fun to meet you all at these shows and get to speak to you one on one about my work and this one was no exception. It was great to see so many people and get a chance to speak to most of you about the prints and originals that you had bought. I then got to be nosey and ask where in your home you might hang them, what other artist’s you collect, why you like my work etc. Thanks a lot for coming and having a chat! It was lovely to meet you! The gallery was beautifully curated by the talented staff who made the event run smoothly and a lot of fun. I highly recommend Smart Gallery as an official stockist of my work, they have a beautiful gallery as home to other artists who …

Plagiarism in Art – An Artist’s Perspective

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To help me shape this Pandora’s Box of a topic,  I have spoken at length to other artists and people who work with their own creative content. This scope is large and can span over many varying careers. But the answer we all seemed to agree on was the same. In the nature of all creative content, originality is a fleeting concept. If the idea has already been done unbeknownst to you, then it may about to be done, unbeknownst to them. This is my perspective, with opinions peppered through that I have learnt along on the way to writing this. I began using this blog as part of a project for my 3rd year of my Art Degree; under the instructions to show that you could create an online space that held information about your work. I noticed that I could increase the footfall towards my page. Then in 2013 I took social media platforms more seriously after finding them to be a great place to share my paintings and garner views and interest in my …

Two editorials to end the year with and a BIG thank you!

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Having work published in a magazine or editorial is such a huge achievement for me! I am so excited that as my first year as a professional artist, I managed to end it on a high of featuring in two magazines, one being overseas in America and the other a cover feature. Last October with my life at somewhat of a fork in the road I had got away from a situation and sat in a cafe with a pot of tea and a magazine. I saw women being celebrated for their fantastic work in so many different genres of art, fashion, politics, and business. What I noticed about these articles were that each of these women had faced a fork in the road, hit rock bottom or had been forced to consider a huge change in their life before they decided to make the change themselves. Although I was dead centre of a difficult situation, I felt so far away from it with the realisation that I was free to do what I enjoyed …