Sam Dolman

I have always been a keen artist but it wasn't until after University whilst pursuing a dull career in Accountancy that I realised my true calling.  I started painting seriously when I moved to Spain.  The sunsets were spectacular which I painted from a villa in the southern mountains.  When I returned to England, the Peak District motivated me in a different way.  One day I stumbled across some cows whilst photographing the landscape.  It was my first real encounter as I leant over a fence.  Soon they had all come over to give me a lick and say hello.  Cows, with their intelligence and curious nature remain one of my favourite animals to draw and paint to this day.  Wildlife is becoming very common on my easel particularly the big cats such as tigers which are an artists dream to paint with their contrasting stripes and whiskers.

 

Nature provides me with a constant source of inspiration.  I often spend considerable time with the animals I paint; they all have unique personalities which I try to capture.

 

I work very slowly, my paintings are usually worked on over several months to allow drying in between different layers.  Nowadays I paint entirely on aluminium.  I use a mixture of sable and synthetic bruishes, carefully blending each brushstroke into the next to create a very smooth finish.  

* This statement has been provided directly by the artist in association to their 16^th International ARC Salon entries. This content has not been edited for typos or grammatical errors and has not been vetted for accuracy.