Neil Dawson

Not all artists become an artist straight after leaving school. Some start pursuing different careers before they realise what they want to do. This job is like no other, in fact some may say it is the best in the world. Certainly, Neil Dawson would agree.

Like most children at school, Dawson thoroughly enjoyed art lessons, and therefore it was his chosen subject in college. However, he struggled in his foundation year which left him doubting a career in art.

When he finished at college, Dawson's career path took a dramatic turn when he decided to do a degree in economics and eventually secured a job in banking. As it is the case with most born-to-be artists this job did not suit his character or fulfil what he wanted out of life. It wasn't until he did a stint of travelling that he realised he had missed painting and art. He longed for the freedom, escapism and the spontaneity that art had always offered him.

Inspirations

Dawson describes himself as a very visual person. He is often inspired by many things around him and is constantly influenced by the programmes he watches on his television, walking around town or when he is flicking through magazines. He will often collect cut outs and play around with different colours and compositions to spark ideas for future paintings.

A day in the life of an artist

Being an artist is like being on a 'constant learning curve' stated Dawson. Even when he has created a piece that has been disastrous, he will experiment with a different method of mark making, colour scheme or composition that will make it work well.

Dawson has said to use photographic references as a beginning point of his artwork. He does not like to have a strong picture or idea about what his finished painting will look like because he likes the painting to follow its own path and direction, and therefore Dawson works with his intuition. This means that the piece develops of its own accord. Although this is his preferred method of painting he also understands that there is no right or wrong way to paint, it is up to the individual artist and what works best for them.

Being an artist certainly has some perks, Dawson especially loving the fact that he has no need for watches and clocks. He will work when his body tells him to work and will finish the day when it naturally feels right. Although he does admit that when relaxing on a night whether it is in front of a TV or with a book in his hand, he never 'clocks off' as an artist as he is always taking inspiration from his surroundings making it a 24/7 job.