Kenneth Clarke
Gateshead, Tyne & Wear - United Kingdom
Kenneth Clarke - Fine Artist
Member Since: 04/30/2011
I am a self taught artist from Tyneside England. I first started with art making small clay sculptures to relax from a busy lifestyle competing in sport and running a successful gym. After winning the British Championships and a Mr Universe tittle in by 2007 I decided to retire to a slower pace of life. My interest in art helped to fill the void I felt after leaving the sport of bodybuilding. So I focused intensely on developing my own unique style. Often my artworks feature figurative and abstract elements combined with a fantasy theme. A lot of energy goes into my art and it shows in the finished paintings. A sense of drama and intensity comes to mind when looking at my larger images. My other drawings are soft gentle and erotic to celebrate the beauty of the female form. I paint with bright vibrant colours and my imagination create images that draw the viewer to take a closer look. Art is my release from daily life. Art gives me the opportunity to express my feelings from past or present. I have been an artist all my life really. I spent twenty years sculpting my own body into a herculean physique. My background in bodybuilding influencing my interest in figurative art. Music is a great motivation and influence too. Music is a great inspiration to lots of things including my art. Some of my paintings feature a musical theme like a ballerina or musical notes.Recently I have been working on some new sculptures and a new style of painting that is unique to me. These new images feature textured impasto underpainting with spray overpainting. Vibrant colour and fluid seamless form create striking, bold figures in this series of paintings. It took a lot of courage for me to go from the strength and power of bodybuilding to the softer, gentle world of art. Strength and energy I now freely express in my art instead of the gym. I am happier now holding a pencil or brush now as opposed to bars or dumbbells.
Kenneth Clarke.
