David Wells Artist | Art school
David Wells Artist
Reviews
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24.01.2022 Brisbane Portrait Prize marks first visit to an art show for the little one. Seemed to approve of the subject matter. :) A really good exhibition in my opinion, very happy to be included. Winners of major categories announced tonight, 6th of October, streamed live from 6pm, as no opening night due to COVID restrictions.... Good luck to all :) The peoples choice can be voted on till the 27th of October. Go have your say if you have not already done so. https://www.brisbaneportraitprize.org
23.01.2022 "Born in the time of COVID" pastel on paper 73cm x 52cm. So some of you may have noticed I haven't been very active lately. I would like to share this by way of explanation. ;) It's my first artwork as a parent, apparently takes longer to get stuff done now....... Mother and child are well, we have made the decision to keep said child's online footprint minimal, so won't be adding any details on a public page. I'd like to dedicate this piece to all the other new parents starting this journey during this strange time. Babies care not for your lockdown. Coming ready or not.... :)
22.01.2022 Congratulations to my "Introduction to Watercolour Portraits" class at Brisbane Painting Classes over the weekend. Very enjoyable weekend and great results all around. Thanks as always to the BPC team for making all happen, and of course to everyone that came along. :)
21.01.2022 Good afternoon, back doing some stuff post lockdown :) Hope to see you there.
20.01.2022 "Born in the time of COVID" pastel on paper 73cm x 52cm. My portrait of Kat and the little one has been named as a finalist for this year's Brisbane Portrait Prize. Congratulations to all the finalists, link to the gallery below. Please vote for the peoples choice while you are there ... https://www.brisbaneportraitprize.org/gallery/2020-gallery/ I'd like to dedicate this piece to all the other new parents starting this journey during this strange time. Babies care not for your lockdown. Coming ready or not....
20.01.2022 Happy 2021 :) I'm back baby! Regular transmision resumes as of today. Sorry for my absence I have been mostly being Dad, but also first Christmas with the little one, wedding anniversary and things of that nature. ... First project of the year is a commissioned piece, biggest work I have ever made (200cm120cm) on 2 panels so I can get it in the car. Underpainting is basically done, building up details starting today :) SUPER excited to be given the opportunity to work at this scale, tis fun.
20.01.2022 Hello. I hope everyone is doing ok through all this. I have been working on a commission the last little while, now complete. :) Starting on a pastel to kick off what should at least be a productive period at the easel, given that workshops at not a thing for the next few months. :(
20.01.2022 Quite hard to photograph, but here is over all progress and a close up example of the difference between first and second layers. There will be at least 3 layers, 4 on some of the key areas, brushes get smaller with each pass.
20.01.2022 First sale of 2020. "Khwezi" pastel on paper, 70cm50cm. Finished 22 Jan 2017, sold exactly 3 years later gone to be re-framed, then off to a new home. I personally have been quite happy to have it around, but time to let it go. Thinking about letting some others in my of my stash go and make room for new work. Will rummage through and see what I am prepared to part with...
20.01.2022 Spent the last couple of days adding detail. Probably a day or so left?
18.01.2022 Long overdue post of my pastel level 1 class at Jacksons Drawing Supplies in Busselton, which was held on Tues. Everyone did great work, as previously mentioned I failed to take many shots on the day, would love to have had more. This should give you the jist however. Congratulations to all my students, and thank you once again to Jacksons for having me this week, off without a hitch as always. See you all again soon :)
18.01.2022 First time running my watercolour portrait class at Brisbane Painting Classes. 7th and 8th of March. Please feel free to contact me with any questions you might have, one of my personal favourite workshops as it happens. https://www.davidwellsart.com.au//introduction-to-portrait
18.01.2022 "The Girl with the Dragonfly Tattoo" Oil on Canvas, 120cm X 90cm, was sold at auction last night (along with 2 limited edition prints, see next post) as part of the "Building a Better Brisbane" event, held at Le Bonne Saigon, Jindalee. This is a favourite work of mine, which I have kept in my personal collection for a number of years. It's a bit sad to see it go, however it is always exciting to someone connect with your work. Congratulations to the winning bidder, and ...may it give you many years of pleasure. I would like to thank Lord Mayor, Adrian Schrinner & Lady Mayoress, Nina Schrinner for including me in the evening. Le Bonne Saigon hosted an amazing event, the food is SO good, 9 courses, and as a gluten and dairy free person, I could actually eat nearly everything for once! Thank you to everyone involved. Extra thanks to my agent Teresa at Brisbane Artists Agency for connecting the dots and giving me this opportunity. I totally slacked off taking photos of the evening, but I will share some later with some luck.
18.01.2022 "Self Portrait as Igor" Acrylic on Canvas, 120cm X 90cm. Obviously a bit of a step away from my usual, and as always if I am trying something new I experiment on myself. ... I love street/pop art, have for whatever reason held off on getting involved till now, at this point I believe there will be more :) Was very satisfying to just paint, without really thinking about it for once in my life. Apparently I am much more skilled then last time I tried that, which I guess shouldn't be surprising but it kinda was. Huge thanks to Royal Talens Australia for the Amsterdam Acrylics. I know it's been a while since I have had a chance to play with them, still awesome. My pallet here is a total of 3 colours. -Titanium White - Payne's Grey (anyone who knows me knows I am obsessed with this colour) - Quinacridone Rose. So sexC.! Anyway that was my week, let me know what you think :)
18.01.2022 Quick shot of me posing with my entry in the first ever. Brisbane Portrait Prize. As you may or may not be aware, according to BNEPortrait Prize social media, judging to select the finalists is complete, and artist will be notified in the coming days of their success or otherwise. I have a lot of friends who have entered, many of whom are entering a major prize for the first time. I would like to take a moment to wish everyone luck, and to remind you that without do...ubt there will be more deserving artwork then there are spots on the wall. Also, judging art is purely subjective, there is no possible way the eventual winner can be objectively "The Best". It's personal opinion, and generally with this sort of prize, a wide range of styles will be represented. What this means is, at the end of the day there will be art hung in the prize that you dislike and feel shouldn't be there at all. That same artwork will almost certainly be someone else's highlight. What it also means is that it really can be luck of the draw at the end of the day. Mathematically, most of us will not make the cut. Don't beat yourself up toooooo much, if you are happy with your work, enter it in something else. Rejection here does not represent a failed piece. The most important thing is that a major portrait prize now exists in Brisbane, and because we all supported it by entering, there will be a next year in which to try again. Thank you to the organisers for all the work it took to get this off the ground. Most importantly congratulations to everyone who had worked so hard and put their heart on their sleeve to enter, remember that those of us who do not get hung have been involved, and played an important role. Good luck!
17.01.2022 Thank you to everyone for the well wishes and kind words. Little family are all doing well. Still not much sleep but more ;) Here are few more WIP shots, I am just about at a point where being more active on social media is realistic again, so watch this space. :) Also finalising some dates for demo's and workshops, will post details soon.
17.01.2022 Just in case anyone needs some :) I love these colours oddly enough.
16.01.2022 A day of macro and micro.
15.01.2022 "Menagerie", Watercolour on paper 60cmX42cm.
14.01.2022 Getting down to the business end....Still hopefully to get this finished and uploaded by the 23rd ....meep! Eyes at about 60%? So much more work on full face..talk to me tonight and see if I am having a melt down :P
14.01.2022 Watercolour day at Jackson's drawing supplies here in Busselton. Congratulations to all my students, great work all round. Kinda wish I had taken more work in progress shots at a later stage, but you get that I guess. Thanks again to all involved, Jackson's drawing supplies, staff and everyone who came along. Sorry again to pastel class,(long story) promise I will post shots on the morrow.
14.01.2022 Congratulations to my Level 1 oil portrait class here in Busselton today, hosted as always by the wonderful Jackson's Drawing Supplies. Huge thank you to Jackson's and staff, especially to Rochelle for all her extra help, and to everyone who came along and made it so much fun. My apologies to my pastel class from yesterday, done have a class photo on my phone, will post you guys ASAP ;) ... Watercolour tomorrow :) yay!
11.01.2022 Second layer almost complete, just need to add the rest of the waves along the bottom right. Once everything dries, the next step is to work over the whole surface in smaller brushes.
11.01.2022 Studio shot :) Storm pastel on the floor for photo only, usually kept out of the reach of passing kittykats :P
10.01.2022 Can you believe it's March already?! Looking forward to running my first workshop at Brisbane Painting Classes for 2020 - Introduction to Portrait in Watercolour - 7 & 8 March (Still a few places available) https://www.brisbanepaintingclasses.com//David_Wells_Portr For all the information and to make a booking, use the link above. ... This workshop is a personal favourite of mine to teach and suits all experience levels, including beginners. I found watercolour very intimidating when I first started, however it turns out it's quite achievable if approached using a few key principles. I can supply all paint and paper for the weekend for $40, or BYO. Contact me here if you have any questions, and I hope you'll join me this weekend. :)
10.01.2022 Number 1 of 25 of my two limited edition prints were auctioned as part of the "Building a Better Brisbane" event, held at Le Bonne Saigon, Jindalee. The originals (both long since sold) were both pastels, the blue one is called "Island Storm" and the orange one "Timothy St" which is where I was standing watching the storm. Congratulations to the winning bidder, and thank you for your kind words, means a lot to feel I have communicated my emotions through an art work in such... a way that we were on the same page. I would like to once again thank Lord Mayor, Adrian Schrinner & Lady Mayoress, Nina Schrinner for including me in the evening. Le Bonne Saigon hosted an amazing event, Thank you to everyone involved. Thanks again to my agent Teresa at Brisbane Artists Agency for connecting the dots and giving me this opportunity, and for donating her first of the edition prints. :) . Some of both editions are still available for anyone interested.
10.01.2022 Very pleased to learn my work "Menagerie" (watercolour on paper, 61cmx42cm) has been selected as a finalist for the Lethbridge 20 000. Congrats to all the other finalists, as always some amazing work. :)
10.01.2022 I will be in Melbourne (3810 area) for the first time since 2015, running Portraits in Oil classes. Friday April 3rd is sold out, so have added a second date on Sat the 4th. (Both days are the same, 1 day class) Please contact Leanne for bookings.... 0417 031 06 [email protected] Any questions please don't hesitate to contact me. See you in April. :)
10.01.2022 Anyone who happens to be around Fish Lane (South Bank) I will sitting here with that rabbit doing some pastel for 12 till 2 (October 4th) Come say hi :)
09.01.2022 My final class in WA for this run, level 1 oils at Jacksons Drawing Supplies in Balcatta. Thank you all so much for your support, and congratulations on your work, wonderful individual interpretations of the subject. Very impressed :) Thank you once again to Jacksons for making it possible and for all their support through out my time here in the West. See you all again soon.
09.01.2022 Following up from yesterday. (as I assume some people are curious) Dear David Wells The Brisbane Portrait Prize finalists judge has reviewed all submitted artwork and chosen the finalists for the inaugural Award.... The judge endeavoured to assemble a strong collection of artworks from a very competitive field that showcased the diverse range of mediums and styles from artists with a Brisbane connection. Unfortunately on this occasion your artwork titled Kat has not been successful. We thank you for participating and hope you will enter again next year. Kind Regards The Brisbane Portrait Prize Board Please refer to my previous post :) try again next year.
09.01.2022 Did you catch us on ABC News Brisbane last week? A spectacular bit of coverage on the 2020 Brisbane Portrait Prize ... and we've managed to get our hands on a copy so you can rewatch it below
08.01.2022 Would just like to say thank you from Kat and I for all the messages of congratulations and the amazing response to my latest piece. I usually post WIP shots as I go along but didn't want to let the cat out of the bag in this instance, so will be posting a few over the coming days. For those of in the Brisbane area, I have a pastel demo at Le Bonne Saigon Bar & Bistro Restaurant in Jindalee this coming Sunday the 23rd, 1.30pm till 3.30. $20 for a drink and nibbles... on entry, which is really worth it, as I understand it the cocktails are quite nice, and they can meet dietary requirements if needed. (I'm gluten and dairy free and they manage to feed me) Thank you to Teresa from Brisbane Artists Agency for organising it all, and to book please contact her at [email protected] I will have the original of this painting about my person so you can see it in the flesh if you are interested. :)
08.01.2022 I'm working on a piece for this, is a great cause. :) Display is set up as such that you can send unframed works on paper, which at 8"X8" means you can mail stuff down easily, which takes a huge amount of the hassle of entering any comp away.
07.01.2022 A late Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to everyone, hope all is well. As it happens, I have taken the last month or so away from the social media, and the studio to wed (and honeymoon with) the woman of my dreams, Kat <3 We would like to thank everyone that supported us, and helped make the day run so perfectly. ... Also thank you to Anna Osetroff- Photogapher for all her creativity and hard work, wonderful images, and thank you for letting us share them on social media. Back at work, super excited for 2020, will be posting workshop dates here and on my website in the coming days, see you all soon.
05.01.2022 Ok so this is a very late post (been moving house) Class photo from pastel skyscape workshop at Shore Stuido 16th and 17th of Nov. Congratulations to the 4 artists on making these beautiful and unique artwork. Huge thank you to Michelle as always for making it possible, for amazing cakes and supplying the beautiful venue. See you back there next year :)
05.01.2022 Very happy to announce my portrait of Kat and the little one has been named as a finalist for this year's Brisbane Portrait Prize. :) Congratulations to all the finalists, link to the gallery below. Please vote for the peoples choice while you are there :) ... https://www.brisbaneportraitprize.org/gallery/2020-gallery/
04.01.2022 Back to the pastels at long last :) Loving it. I have a pastel skyscapes workshop coming up at Shore Studio (16th and 17th November, still some spaces click https://shorestudio.com.au//skyscapes-in-pastel-with-davi/ for details ;) ) Rummaging through reference photos and found something inspiring, so here we are. About 4 hours in, including a bunch of mucking around deciding my pallet and trying to find stuff. ... I apologise for my absence of late, busy with things around the home. I promise I will reply to messages and such shortly :)
04.01.2022 I am busy doing prep for my workshops @ Shore Studio this weekend (16th and 17th Nov) couple of spaces left by the way, link here. https://shorestudio.com.au//skyscapes-in-pastel-with-davi/ There will be cake! Facebook Memories tells me that 3 years ago today was this storm, which was one of the most visually impressive that I have ever seen. This one of 3 pastels and 1 watercolour based on it, although it changed so much as the sun set you would never know it was the same storm. Really hoping to get something like this over the Brisbane river in front of my studio, just gotta get my timing right :)
04.01.2022 Excited to announce my work "Born in the time of COVID" is one of 180 finalists from a pool of 2500+ entries. I'm still very humbled this work seems to resonate with so many people. Congratulations to all finalists, and good luck everyone. :) ... There happens to be a peoples choice so feel free to go have your say link below. https://bluethumb.com.au/competitions/prize-2020/votes
02.01.2022 Still some spots for Sunday :)
02.01.2022 Been sketching in the sketch book with graphite for the first time in a while, turns out its still really fun. You totally don't need a bunch of expensive materials to have a good time. Paper and pencils will do the trick ;)
01.01.2022 "Kat" watercolour on paper, 76cm X 105cm. My entry for the Brisbane Portrait Prize. Made the deadline with like, 4 hours to spare.... Currently a stage where I don't even care if I get hung, just glad to have it finished. Good luck to everyone else who entered, see you all on the night hopefully :)
01.01.2022 "Island Storm 2" 70cmX 50cm pastel on paper. First quarantine piece, I wanted something that wasn't toooo stressful to execute given everything else that is going on. :) I think it came up well, loving the Art Spectrum extra soft "Darks" set. ... I can't run workshops at present, so brief bit of self promotion, everything is for sale, going cheap ;) Seriously though, if you are in the market for original artworks, message me, happy to try and work something out.
