David McEwen
Lodeve, Herault - France
David McEwen - Fine Artist
Member Since: 11/23/2010
People keep telling me that I paint too many different things, that my work is too eclectic, that I should specialise. Er.......why......? I paint the things that give me a buzz, things that I love, things that I want to CELEBRATE. Each of these works are, in some sense, a speciality...I specialise in Colour and Light.
As you can see from my photograph I have no intention of ever growing up or of becoming responsable. I was born many, many years ago in the cold North-East of England and first started studying Fine Art under Victor Passmore when I reached the advanced age of 13. He made me draw for a year and then mix colours and learn my craft for another year. I returned to Art School in the 70's when Lecturers just didn't care what you did so that I can honestly claim since my first day there I'm self taught!
There are influences on my work; there are other painters whose work I love, the masters of course but also people like Remington and, greatest of all ..... Norman Rockwell.
There is one painter who influenced my work throughout my life, whose encouragement has helped me more than anybody ... my brother, Christopher. He's a painter with imagination and real talent.
For the next twenty years or so I rambled from job to job until, in the early 90's, I met somebody who found enough in my work to really encourage me to paint, paint and paint some more......and, Dear Reader, she married me.
Between '92 and '97 I worked on about 700 commissions. In 1993 I turned full-time painter ( not an Artist, they wander, looking pale and interesting, until struck by the ' Muse ' ) and have only one regret; that I didn't do it sooner !
In 1997 we moved, in search of warmer climes; to The South of France to set up a Painting Holiday Centre.
Since then we've met people who have arranged painting and teaching trips to The Falkland Islands ( X2 ), teaching and exhibiting trips to San Diego ( X2 ) and Delray Beach ( X2 ), painting trips to Venice, Barcelona, Jerez, Paris and, well.......... basically, all over Europe.
So apart from saying I love Sal to bits; am seriously proud of my grandchildren, I think that painting is the best job in the world, that I'm giftedly clumsy and that I believe in Narnia and Hogwarts there's not alot left to say.
Some people claim that I'm very sarcastic....what do they know?
In 2012 I was elected to be an Associate Member of The Society of Equestrian Painters and I'm really rather proud of that, correction, I'm Bloody Proud of that.
I'm represented by Jaynie Spector of The Dog and Horse Gallery in Charleston, South Carolina and by Dan and Carol Lynne at Forms, Atlantic Avenue, Delray Beach, Florida.
