Diary Trip
DT will be travelling to Ireland in September for our first Diary trip. We will be studying the dragons of Ireland and their importance in Irish culture. Expect videos, images and essays on the dragons of Newgrange
Award!
Dragons Touch has won its 1st award issued by the site Silver Dragons Breath. Click here to see what they have to say about us.
Mailing List
To become involved in Dragons Touch or just to find out what we are up to fill in the form below to join our Mailing list.
 |
 |
The art
1)First off, how long have you been drawing?
2) And what inspired you to first start drawing?
3) What were the first things you ever drew, were they dragons?
4) What made you want to draw dragons?
No one, including me, can remember exactly when or why dragons first flew into my life. My father introduced me to Anne McCaffrey and Lord of the Rings, and I remember singing along to the soundtrack of Pete’s Dragon. However, my mother is adamant that I was drawing dragons from the moment I could hold a pencil. For years I created dragons from anything I could find and by the age of seventeen (when most teenagers have mundane Saturday jobs I was selling dragon sculptures through the famous Henge Shop in the Megalithic stone circle of Avebury.
5) What emotions do you add to your drawings?
That completely depends upon the mood I am in when I pick up the pen - the results can range
from fierce, angry or bold, through to whimsical and affectionate (although the latter emotions are
far more likely!).
The Artist
6) Your favourite dragon if you have one? This can either be a specific dragon or just a picture
you've seen.
My favourite is also one of my best sellers. It is called Dragon Valentine and was created as the backdrop to my wedding ceremony!
7) Do you have any special things you like do to while or before drawing to help give you
inspiration?
10) Tell us a little bit about the stages you go through while drawing your pictures.
I always begin with a scrap of paper or material and literally play, making random strokes with no
real intention until suddenly, a particular twist or turn, doodled line or random shading evokes the finished dragon in my mind’s eye. Colour comes later – shape is always the trigger, and my imagination then fleshes it out.
8) Have you done any courses in art of any sort?
I went to college and majored in mask design. I still use many of these techniques in the dragon sculptures I produce. I also enjoy life drawing opportunities when they arise.
9) What is your favoured medium when it comes to your art? (eg pencil, oil pants etc)
(I like the idea of oil pants!)
Pen and ink allows me to work in very fine detail and I love oils. I also really enjoy working on silk
as it has a marvelous quality of its own - one of my silk paintings, inspired by the trees at Avebury, is now in the hands of the Tolkien family. My favourite medium for sculptures is wire - not easy to work with, but very satisfying and an amazing texture in the final result.
11) List a few of your other interests apart from drawing.Is drawing your full time job? If not, what do you do?
After having my own studio in Wiltshire, and being fortunate to be able to concentrate on my
artwork full time, I now find myself looking after my own little brood and feeding their imagination in between nursery runs. I still dedicate as much time as I can to my artwork but it will be some time before I return to being a full time artist!
12) Who is your favourite artist?
I have so many - I like Andrew Goldsworthy, David Day's Tolkien illustrations and John Grant's dragons. I also love Christo - the idea of wrapping a coastline in great swaths of material amuses, baffles and excites me!
13) Anything else you would like to add?
Great site - keep up the good work!
