Interview with artist
David Bellamy
"David Bellamy specialises in painting mountain and wild coastal scenes, and is particularly fascinated by the moods of nature in the wild places. A full time artist and author, he has written seventeen books illustrated with his paintings and eight dvd’s on David’s techniques in watercolour have been produced by APV Films.Through his painting and writing he hopes to bring about a greater awareness of the threats to the natural environment, and he is particularly active in conserving the wild areas. He is currently campaigning to preserve his beloved Welsh Hills from the scourge of Wind Turbine Developments."
David Bellamy is an Ambassador for St Cuthberts Mill.
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| 'Icefall' by David Bellamy |
Interview with David Bellamy - Feb 24th 2016
Tell me about when you decided to go “pro”. When did you decide to
dedicate yourself to your art. Give us an example of what that meant to you.
(What pushed your artwork from amateur level to professional?)
I worked as a computer programmer and painted in
my spare time, also writing articles. This became so successful I gave up the
day job. Working in wild conditions in the mountains really pushed my
watercolours forward
Please
state which St Cuthberts Mill papers you use and why?
Saunders Waterford – it has an interesting
surface texture, responds well and is reliable. Occasionally Bockingford
too.
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| 'Pike o' stickle' by David Bellamy |
How
does the use of these papers enhance your work?
Waterford is a superb paper for the
watercolourist and I am confident it won’t let me down (very useful in front of
a large audience!). It also responds well to sponging and minor corrections.
Is
there an artist you admire, did they inspire you to be an artist yourself?
JMW Turner, of course, Bovington, Cotman,
William Callow all inspired me and in my early days I enjoyed seeking out
the work of John Blockley.
Do
you remember the first painting you did that you were really proud of?
Yes, one of Dimmingsdale in Staffordshire.
What
memorable responses have you had to your work?
An arab once asked me to do his portrait – I did
too and kept one as he had an interesting face. I was pleased with the
result and so was he – He folded it up and stuffed it inside his djellaba.
Several have said how my paintings and books have helped them through
illnesses – at least a couple have confessed that it had stopped them from
committing suicide. A troupe of monkeys took such a dislike to my sketch
in the Lost City of Gedi that they threw stones and sticks at me in
disgust, but most people do give favourable comments to my watercolours.
What
are you working on right now?
I’m working on two more books.
What’s
the one painting you’ve painted that you will always keep?
One of a deep crevice on a glacier, spanned by a
fallen ice block which acts as a rather dubious bridge for a couple of
climbers.
What
advice would you give to yourself, the artist you were 10 years ago?
Stop playing it safe and take more artistic
risks with my painting.
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'Walrus Colony Poolpynten' by David Bellamy |
We'd like to thank David Bellamy for doing this interview with us -
To view more of David's amazing work head over to his website!
For more info about
Saunders Waterford paper:
For more info about Bockingford paper:
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