Dave Watts – portfolio

Contact the artist

01869 340218
davewatts027[at]gmail.com

Artist information

I paint mostly in pastel, sometimes in watercolour. Most of my pictures have buildings in them – in towns, cities, villages or on the coast. Almost all are based on sketches or photographs of places I have visited. What attract me are the atmosphere and colours of the scene.

I have exhibited three times at the annual exhibition of the Pastel Society at the Mall Galleries in London, which is a great honour because it showcases the leading pastel artists in the country. This is the third year I have taken part in Oxfordshire Artweeks.

I have sketched since I was eight – but started painting bigger pictures only 10 years ago. I am self-taught; I learned from studying books, attending exhibitions and workshops, and experimenting. That is what excites me – experimenting. I don’t paint in one particular style. I like learning from a picture – and using what I’ve learnt as a base from which to try slightly different directions.

My studio in our cottage in the village is tiny – but that’s fine by me. I stand when I paint. But when I need to think, I sit in a fine old Captain’s chair that once belonged to my Dad and look across to the Oxford Canal in the distance.

Exhibition information

For Artweek, I have transformed the old wash house in our cottage garden into a pop-up gallery. The wash house was built around 1800, and has an old fireplace. I love the varied colours of the brick walls, so I have kept them in their full faded glory as a backdrop for my pictures. But I have brought the gallery up to date by installing lighting and a modern hanging system.

It is packed full of pastel and watercolour pictures. Subjects include Oxfordshire, London, Devon, Venice, Greece and Amsterdam.