A CARTOONIST, who swapped comics for the canvas in order to launch his fine art career, will be making a guest appearance at a Solihull gallery.
Critically acclaimed artist Craig Davison will be unveiling a newly curated exhibition of his work at Castle Fine Art, on Mell Square, next Saturday (February 27) between 1pm and 4pm.
It will feature his new limited edition collection Timberlyne alongside a selection of rare originals.
Craig wanted to work with art from an early age. He began his artistic career working as a cartoonist, designing pre-school comics, before becoming an animator and games designer where he began sculpting reference figures for 3D animation.
While in this role he entered a competition for aspiring artists run by the UK’s leading art publishers Washington Green Fine Art.
His signature style, influenced by his time working as a cartoonist, caught the attention of the judges and he finished in the top three.
Although Craig’s iconic style is instantly recognisable in his new collection, Timberlyne represents a departure from the artist’s previous works.
At the centre of the collection is a little girl steering a bison through the wilderness, seemingly rendered vulnerable by her size. Yet despite her small stature, she radiates strength, energy and power – a spiritual embodiment of the earth.
Craig said: “The idea for this collection and the characters at the centre of the collection were born when I was walking my dogs in the woods.
“Ultimately it’s down to the viewer to guess what the relationship between them is, where they’re going and where they’ve come from.
“It’s an illustration for a story that hasn’t been written.”
Neil Fox-Hammond, gallery manager, added Craig’s new work demonstrated a real departure from his previous subject matter and was the most personal collection Craig had produced in his career to date.
He added: “Inspired by the natural environment and the lack of artificial light found in the wilderness, Timberlyne demonstrates a clever use of chiaroscuro – the extreme contrasts of light and shade employed draw the viewer’s eye towards the little girl, ensuring this heroine-like figure is kept firmly in the spotlight.”
The exhibition will runs for a week from Saturday.
Craig’s work can be bought from the exhibition or online, with signed limited editions starting from £595.
Visit www.castlegalleries.com for more.
