Coping With the Covid Lockdown – Discovering New Passions

During the Covid-19 situation I’ve been able to continue my website design and development work from my home office. Thankfully the nature of the profession means that I can complete my work remotely. Although usually I like to keep in contact with my clients through regular face-to-face meetings, where possible, the wonders of Zoom or Skype have meant that I can still conduct meetings if required or communicate by good old-fashioned phone and email!

Aside from that, like most people, I’ve had more time on my hands at home so wanted to take up a new pastime to keep me occupied and focussed. Influenced by the many exciting artists I know through my circle of friends in Leeds I decided to experiment with painting. I’ve always been an artistic person and began drawing at an early age, however as I reached my teenage years my creative talent became directed more toward music and I studied music production at University.

To get me started I ordered a full paint set containing multiple colours of acrylic paints, an easel and a selection of brushes. Having seen a good friend paint original and striking pictures just from her imagination I began in the same vein, by just allowing whatever came to mind to work it’s way onto the canvas.

I’ll admit the first few paintings were not for public consumption, however I followed that by trying to recreate some images of animals and nature and learning and trying to improve as I went along (which is my general philosophy with anything creative).

Having been a website and graphic designer for a number of years and always being interested in artists I do feel I have an eye for striking visual art and design. My favourite artist from a young age was always Salvador Dali. I found his surreal works particularly awe-inspiring as he combined dream imagery with traditional  renaissance art, for instance, and more contemporary movements such as Cubism. In addition to Dali’s stylistic values he was fundamentally a highly technically skilled artist. The quality of his brush strokes, level of detail and perception of light and shadow were outstanding.

My other favourite artists include Picasso, Henri Matisse, Monet and the Renaissance artists and more modern/leftfield artists such as Banksy, Warhol and Jean-Michel Basquiat. But through the wonders of the internet I’m generally discovering new work by many artists locally and around the world every day. Since taking up painting myself I’ve found a new appreciation for art in general and the effort and skill required to produce a fine painting in acrylics and particularly oils.

I now find myself painting whenever I get spare time and it has also led into experimenting with some mixed media work using inks and watercolours. I’m also considering returning to university to study fine art part time alongside my web design work as I am of the belief that all creative passions feed into each other.

You can view and purchase my work here alongside some of my other creative writing and musical output.

My work has received some good feedback so far and most importantly I have a rediscovered my love for painting and drawing so at least I have drawn some positives from this unprecedented situation.

Thanks for reading,

Rory