HISTORY & BACKGROUND

I was born and raised in Somerset as part of a large family. Being the eldest, I often amused myself by painting and drawing, although in those days it was felt tip pens and poster paints! Living in a small village, I was surrounded by horses and ponies, which developed my fascination with the animal kingdom. Artistically, horses were my first subject, primarily as a way of fulfilling my dreams of having my own pony. After many years of riding other people’s ponies, my parents realized my dedication and bought me a pony.

I attended Somerset College of Art and Technology, where I completed a two-year course in Design and Clothing Manufacture. In 1990, having decided to pursue a career in equestrian art, I moved to Newmarket, Suffolk - this being the core of the country’s flat racing industry. It seemed the most obvious choice. By day I worked as a stable hand, riding out and grooming the horses; by night I would paint them. I worked hard to gain as much reference and knowledge as I possibly could, which ultimately led to me taking on commissions. After several years, I moved to Dubai, UAE, where the horse racing industry was rapidly expanding. It was at this point that I decided to concentrate on becoming a full-time artist and my career began to flourish with an increase in commissions and the popularity of my work in galleries. It was in Dubai that I found my Spaniel, Toby, who now lives with me in Somerset. In 1997, after a long holiday in England, I decided to move back and fulfill my ultimate ambition of becoming a successful artist in my own country. In effect, my career started again, only painting dogs rather than horses. I spent as much time around them as I could, studying and painting them. I now have a rather new addition to my family, a black Labrador named Friday, who along with Toby, is the inspiration for a lot of my work. I joined Washington Green in 2000 as a canine artist, and have since had over 14 of my paintings published.

IDEAS & INSPIRATIONS

Most of my ideas come from being around, watching, and studying dogs. I admire their individual and collective characters, especially when they think they are not being watched.

Many of my ideas come from my own dogs; ‘Friday’ - a black Labrador and ‘Toby’ - a liver and white Spaniel. They often give me the most inspiration when they are up to no good. Living with dogs definitely exposes me to many new ideas. Another way of generating new ideas is by simply talking to people who also have dogs. I am very interested in historical animal art, and the work of Maude Earle and Sir Alfred Munnings is also an inspiration to me.

My work is both challenging and rewarding. Challenging – because I can always learn, improve, and have obstacles of confidence and creative blocks to overcome. Rewarding – in the knowledge that my work can bring joy to people’s lives, and being able to re-create a character of a beloved canine friend.

I believe I have a true affinity to dogs - their loyalty never ceases to amaze me and I truly enjoy being in their company. My objective with each painting is to capture a moment in time with the dog, paying particular attention to the character and expression.

FROM PALETTE TO PICTURE

My preparation starts with my vision of what I want to create, usually something that has inspired me to turn a mental image into a painting. My research includes deciding the breed of dog to use as a subject, talking to owners, breeders, trainers, and watching the dogs, to give me as much knowledge and confidence as possible.

I will spend time with the dogs that I select as models to get a greater understanding of their individual characters. I will take many photographs as reference material to enable me to capture the true nature of the subject that I will create into the finished painting. Over the years I have worked with several different mediums, but have chosen soft pastels, which, with the sand board I work on, allows me to create many different textures, and most importantly, the smooth, silky texture of the animal’s coat. I work by layering and blending the different colours and textures, which although time-consuming, I feel the end result justifies the investment in time. I always continue to experiment with new ideas.

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF DEBBIE GILLINGHAM

My day starts by tending my own dogs, including taking them for a walk. This helps with my mental preparation for my day. The best daylight hours are spent at my easel. I usually have up to five paintings I am working on at any one time, as often my inspiration at a particular time, is biased towards a particular subject. Weather permitting, two days a week is spent gathering further research and taking numerous photographs. Often my inspiration to paint comes in the evening hours, so I may return to my easel in the ‘out of work’ hours.

I relax away from my work by listening to inspirational and relaxing music, swimming, and reading literature concerning the subject of my love of animals or literature that may expand my creativity.