Today we are interviewing our 5th featured artist for the year, this time it's a dear friend of mine from redbubble's artistic community.. a lovely gentleman by the name of Dave Edwards who is otherwise known as BLYTHART
106 - PICTISH KNOTWORK PANEL - DAVE EDWARDS - INK - 1985
Dave creates awesome drawings and many of us are in awe of his style and commitment to his artform. He has agreed to answer 3 questions and share some of his drawings with us, so without further ado, let's get on with the show!
Dave, do tell us, why do you love drawing mate?
I've always loved drawing to some degree, but what really kick-started my enthusiasm was discovering the work of the late-Victorian English artist Aubrey Beardsley when I was 24.
My artwork has passed through many phases. In my twenties I drew weird little faces, then in my thirties I got hooked on geometric drawing and bought myself a drawing board and instruments. I occasionally drew pictures, but mainly it was designs. Design has been a great influence on me, as my drawings will probably reveal. If I had my life to live again, maybe I could become a wallpaper designer (joke).
If I may wind the clock back a little to a time when I was seven years old, you would find me in the little Welsh village of Johnstown, near Wrexham. My mother hasd been hospitalized for a few weeks and my father decided the best way to sort things out was to leave me with my Welsh grandparents (whom I hardly knew), so he would not need to take time from work. On the first night I was put to sleep in a black iron-framed bed and covered with a quilt and a home-made patchwork quilt-cover. Since then, I have always liked patchwork designs.
| 180 - BLYTH POLICE STATION - DAVE EDWARDS - INK - 1991 |
As my father was a Methodist preacher I got to visit lots of churches and although I certainly believed (and still do) I found the sermons boring and spent a lot of time admiring the stained-glass windows. Later in life, as a middle-aged adult, I was to discover the joys of Gaudi's mosaics in Spain.
I believe it was Klee who said that 'drawing is taking a line for a walk'. Well, that walk is often an adventure for me. I went through a period when I did nothing but imaginative drawings and then I started doing representational ink drawings of my home town of Blyth, Northumberland (England). I paid a printer to produce a series of 27 different prints and they actually sold well, considering I live in a small town. Eventually I ran out of views to depict and lost interest in the venture. I had a period of about three years when I didn't even pick up a pencil. About ten years ago, I started to draw again. Two and a half years ago, a Canadian friend, Terry Krysak, invited me to join Redbubble and I haven't looked back since.
Thank you that was very very interesting Dave, now for my second questions, are you ready? I hope so.... lol....Has drawing helped to relieve symptoms of anxiety, depression, stress or illness?
After my medical condition forced me into early retirement I started having feelings of worthlessness. For thirty-three years I had been the family's breadwinner, but now my wife started work and I took over her household tasks, including caring for our daughter, who is mildly disabled. It was a total role-reversal. I enjoy washing and ironing and don't mind shopping, but dusting and sweeping are my weak spots, which I am endeavouring to improve upon.
213 - WELSH DRAGON - DAVE EDWARDS - INK - 2007
Drawing has helped me immensely. I suffer from chronic anxiety, among other things and occasionally this involves periods of depression. As a child I was bullied by my parents and my school-friends and my father and friends managed to convince me that I was of low-intelligence and a general disappointment. From the age of eight I was known by the teachers to be "shy and timid." It's a long story, but basically, through drawing I found a world in which I could not only be myself, but receive some recognition also, which has come in the form of two solo exhibitions in my home town.
Unfortunately, often when I am depressed I lose the urge to draw, but once I have forced myself to draw I find the urge returning. Someone said that when we feel miserable we must force a smile on our faces and gradually the emotions association with smiling will materialize for us. In the same way, when I don't feel like drawing, I try to force myself to draw and I soon become involved and I am back in my little world of creativity, where I am in control of my destiny and can create whatever I wish to create without being told what to do by others. Drawing gives me a purpose in life and Redbubble gives me somewhere to exhibit my work.
Wow, thank you Dave for being so open about how drawing helps, I was just so involved in reading and pondering your words I almost forgot to ask you the next question......Where is your favourite drawing place?
That's a good question! Basically, I suppoe it depends on the weather...there now...you didn't expect that answer I bet :)
Well, noooo, i didn't actually....lol....go on......
If the weather is warm, I have a den in the loft of our house. Our house receives the cold winds from the North Sea and in winter, the top of the house gets really cold. In summer though, I sit at my specially designed and built (by me) art desk and draw, to the accompaniment of music. I find the music of Leonard Cohen or The Incredible String Band (both can be found on Youtube) particularly conducive to drawing.
In the winter I can be found with my family, downstairs in our nice warm llounge, sitting on the three-seated couch with my drawing materials either side of me and the TV on. I seem to have perfected the art of watching soaps on TV and drawing at the same time :)
On rare occasions I even draw sitting on the swing seat in our garden.
I hope this has been of interest to someone and if anyone wishes to chat with me about anything, my email address can be obtained from Karin.... Dave
216 - TOBY AND TABATHA IN THE TINY CITY - DAVE EDWARDS - INK - 2008
....and that's a wrap, thank you so much Dave Edwards/BLYTHART for taking time away from drawing to answer my questions, I hope you enjoyed it, I am sure our readers will and I loved every minute and love your amazing art and all the wonderful details...your style is all your own and it's fantastic, you are amazing!
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