One of the great things about my “job”, is that I get to meet some fantastic, interesting and talented people. The first of these people that I would like to talk about is Danny Holmes-Adams.
Danny is a British Landscape Artist, who’s based in Devon. Danny Paints fantastic, fluid landscapes, many of which are Dartmoor and the surrounding area. His style is fluid and expressive using a tight colour palette in each piece. This creates striking pieces with a luminous quality, you just have to look at some of night scenes to see what I mean.
Danny started at a young age by joining the family sign writing business. From there he studied painting and drawing in Canterbury, before locating to Devon where he has established himself as a professional artist. He has exhibited both in the UK and abroad any many of his pieces are in both public and private collections.
Landscape artist covers many things, so what does he paint? Moorlands, fields, coastal scenes, trees and nightscapes (some of my favourites) are just some of his repertoire, you can see and learn more on his website www.holmes-adams.co.uk
Now one key difference between how I paint and how Danny does (other than skill, talent, use of colour, understanding his medium, materials…..I really should stop the list now) is where he does it. If I see a nice view, I pull out the camera, take a quick snap and might get around to painting it someday in the comfort of the kitchen where it’s warm and there is coffee on tap. Danny sets up in a field, on top of Dartmoor, in the middle of a river and gets to work. Cameras don’t capture what the eye sees, so Danny captures those little variations in colour, light and shade that most would miss. The more you look at a photograph, the more you see, but the more you are in a place painting it, the more you feel. Makes perfect sense when you think about it.
As well as painting, Danny also teaches classes, sharing his in-depth knowledge. Either to groups or on an individual basis (feel free to contact him about this).
I find some artists more than a little pretentious, but not Danny, he is also a great guy. A dedicated husband and father (which I have seen first-hand), with a true passion for his work. I’m glad I have gotten to know him, his lovely wife (she might read this) and his children.
So, pay attention when you are around Devon as you might just catch site of him, with his favourite easel (a Landrover) set up in an unusual place.
