David Starley‘s route to becoming a professional artist was by no means direct. He reports that his school interest in art was squashed by pressure to concentrate of subjects that might prove ‘useful’. His enthusiasm was re-kindled through a part-time course at the University of Sydney whilst working in a steel foundry there. However, there were to be many years studying and working in an entirely different field: archaeology, before his working life turned back to art.
David is a painter, working in oils, which are applied thickly with a painting knife to produce a highly textured, almost three-dimensional effect that changes with the light through the day.
The subject matter of his work can be quite varied: archaeological monuments, mountain scenery and landscapes. In recent years, trees have become the central focus of many of his works. He feels by portraying the forms and character of individual specimens, or groups in woodland, the viewer is led to a greater appreciation of these living structures. He says:
Trees have played a central role in the human past and their importance for our future should not be under-estimated. Not only are they complex organisms, but they have a strength and beauty that can inspire us, and it is this that I strive to capture in my art. They are ever changing, yet changeless, strong yet vulnerable; never to be taken for granted.
Bluebell Magic. Image: courtesy of the artist.
David’s work has featured in many Northern galleries, and in London, and he has exhibited widely in regional group exhibitions, including the Bradford Open. His work was also featured on the public ‘Big Screen’ in Centenary Square, Bradford, on several occasions in recent years as part of a celebration of local artists’ work, organised by this website.
Solo exhibitions have included galleries in Bingley, Shipley, Leyburn, Masham, Bury, Saltaire, Barnard Castle and at the Atrium Gallery, St. James’s Hospital, Leeds. He has also been artist in Residence for the Dales High Way, long distance walk and RHS Gardens, Harlow Carr. David is also a member of he Aire Valley Arts (AVA) Group.
18 Mles of Worsted a Day. Salts Mill, Saltaire, from the Leeds Liverpool Canal. Image: courtesy of the artist.
Since 2019 he has run the Bingley Gallery where his own work is shown alongside other contemporary local artists and a wide selection of earlier Bradford painters.
Artist’s Website: David Starley, Artist
Image: courtesy of the artist.