Behind The Scenes: Katy Jade Dobson On Her New Collection & Upcoming Exhibition With RFA

As you may have already heard, our incredibly talented wildlife artist Katy Jade Dobson will be returning to the capital for her third exhibition with Robertson Fine Art, Edinburgh since we opened our doors in 2015 -  and this time she will be unveiling her highly anticipated spring collection entitled 'Entanglement' for it's first ever public viewing in its entirety.

   

  

On display on the 30th of March will be eighteen new larger scale original oil paintings, sixteen sample sized oil paintings and ten sketches - and some quality limited edition prints scattered in there for good measure too, making this her largest collection and probably one of her most detailed bodies of work to date! Katy has openly discussed how she has adapted her style and tried her hand at a range of techniques for this collection through her social media and her blog posts on the subject, and with the series now reaching completion and with a small window of time for her to reflect prior to her show with us - we felt this was the perfect opportunity to gain a deeper insight into the process and the outcomes of it all. 

We asked Katy some burning questions which we hope will give you a glimpse into the 'behind the scenes' efforts that have gone into this new work, and get you even more excited for her exhibition with us which is taking place in just under 3 weeks time. 

 

This collection is all about the colours, they completely led the way! I often lead with the subject, build into the detail and outwards from there. This time I decided to approach painting from a completely new angle and see what happened. Starting with the colours as the focus that would progress on to lead me to where the subjects needed to be, its made my usual abstract colours really be showcased. The subjects then took on a life of their own and the finished result became so different to how I imagined but so much better. 

  

 

    

I think the approach to the painting process has made the collection different visually, but I think the focus of this collection shines a new light on what I can do and also shows the subjects in a very new way! Compositionally the pieces are worlds away from my previous work but of course my technique and my use of colours has remained the same.

 

The idea of more spontaneity and working from gut instincts were a huge inspiration behind this body of work. Wildlife will be an eternal source of inspiration for me that I will never tire from! I had also read books and further researched into colour. I have such a passion for colour but learning the history of colour use and pigments really was the catalyst for wanting to take on this collection. I had been writing posts on social media about the origins of colours and their histories and I found it so interesting that my respect for colour and my use of it grew in intensity. 

  

 

  

I think the new approach was the most challenging part. I had such a great system for how I worked but I always have a craving to push my own boundaries and learn more about my craft. I want to find new techniques and really explore these, and although it was a lot of fun, it could be really tough at times.

 

Managing to maintain my work ethic and workload despite having significantly less time to paint. I am now a mother to a toddler and finding the time to paint was hard! I have also included a lot of smaller details that I typically wasn’t great at. It was a driving force to try and challenge myself to adapt to smaller subjects, and I really ran with it for this collection.

 

- As an artist, how important do you feel it is to keep adapting and progressing with your techniques and styles? 

I think it is fundamental not just to perfecting your art, but for your own enjoyment and sense of achievement! For me personally, evolving is the lifeblood of my practice! I love to look back and see how my work has changed and improved rather than remained the same. I have such a need for challenges and experimenting with my art and although it is hard to move away from certain styles, it is really nourishing to my creativity and also makes me appreciate when I revisit older styles.

  

- You have recently completed commissioned works for the Adam Handling's newly opened restaurant at the Belmond Cadogan Hotel that are in a similar style, how did it feel to see them all together in their finished state? 

It was a dream come true! The opportunity of having my work in such a place was beyond what I imagined I could achieve. Seeing it in the setting it was designed for was such a privilege and I am so grateful for the opportunity. I see work in galleries but I rarely get to see them in their homes, its such a great feeling.

 

I absolutely adore exhibiting with you, some of my most memorable exhibitions are at your Edinburgh gallery. I am just so excited to chat to your wonderful clientele, the ones who I have spoken to both times I have previously been, and anyone potentially new to my work. It is such a rewarding part of the process and one I am hugely excited about!