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| Adrian Wallett |
My early memories of art bring me straight back to my childhood where I would always have a pencil in one hand and a notepad in the other continuously scribbling down random pictures and cartoons. Even though I really enjoyed art as a subject at both my primary and secondary schools, I feel my artwork only fully evolved after I was allowed to experiment and try new techniques in my own time and without any rules and regulations.
After receiving an oil paint set for Christmas in 1999 I was addicted to expressing my feelings and imagination onto canvas. My first few attempts at oil painting were hardly anything to shout about but I was determined to keep going and learn from each completed painting. These early experimental paintings were imperative in developing my individual style.
Selling my first painting gave me an indescribable feeling of happiness; the money I received was merely an after thought. Just the realisation that someone, somewhere could be hanging up one of my paintings in their hallway really made me proud of what I could achieve through art. I never met the person who purchased that particular painting and I don’t think I would want to. was asked to display some of my artwork in a local gallery held in Sanderstead. I was very privileged and proud to take up their offer, and was determined to showcase some of my most powerful art. Stating that my artwork stood out from the crowd was a huge understatement. Delicate watercolour paintings of windmills and meadows were suddenly distorted by my vibrant and moody oil paintings. I can appreciate all types of art and it was clear that my paintings were among some talented individuals, but it would be fair to say that this gallery didn’t fully suit my individual and original style. However this didn’t detract one buyer who actually purchased one of my paintings.
When living in Sanderstead I successfully converted my loft into my personal gallery, showcasing my artwork to both my friends and family. Their initial reaction and response to my artwork was well received (even if some of my friends were slightly biased). This fuelled my fire to keep going and experimenting with different colours and techniques.
One of my greatest thrills at starting a new painting is using new and inventive concepts and techniques. I hate the idea of following rules and guidelines when expressing yourself through artwork. One example of thinking outside of the box can be seen through my painting ‘Lungs’ where I sprinkled tobacco over the wet paint to give the painting a more raw and textured feel and highlight the negative effect smoking has to your lungs.
I have since given away a large majority of my artwork to my close friends and family as gifts, as I feel there is nothing more meaningful than an original painting.
