Daniel Ablitt - A Still Beauty - Solo Exhibition

About

We will be hosting our first solo exhibition of artist Daniel Ablitt in September of this year. This coincides with the second anniversary of the Gallery space in Godalming. Daniel's contemporary landscape paintings are often likened to the work of Peter Doig. His paintings often have a magical or unreal quality and can leave the viewer with more questions than answers. His childhood was spent in rural Somerset coupled with long trips through Europe in a camper van. This fostered the often derided skill; invaluable to an artist, of daydreaming, allowing his mind and eye to wander as one. These memories of his childhood can be found as a recurring theme within his work. With artistic parents the appreciation of the beauty all around us is all but guaranteed and this environment formed the early stages in his aesthetic education. Formal fine art training took place in Edinburgh and Cheltenham, giving him the skills to interpret his minds eye. Following a break as a stone conservator, Daniel returned to his true calling and has been a full-time artist ever since. The paintings in this new body of work encompass a range of different moods and environments, from dreamlike forest scenes to wistful seascapes, in dark dramatic tones, and paler, softer palettes. Inspiration has come from both the external world and the artists own imaginings. Daniel is often inspired by his travels; many paintings are inspired by the countryside at night. Some pieces have been inspired by novels, and others simply by a yearning to be by the sea somewhere warm during the dark winter months. Perhaps what the images have in common is a day dreamy contemplative quality; Daniel says of his work, “I hope that my paintings offer glimpses of a kind of 'still beauty' that might otherwise be missed. My surroundings often provide the starting point for my work. This could be a visit to an area of outstanding natural beauty, woodland and alpine forests having a significant influence, along with the landscape of south Somerset, where I live and work. My memories of my childhood also have a strong influence on my work, conveying a sense of nostalgia.