ABSTRACT & FIGURATIVE ART

I was brought up in a very creative home, my father Jon, a singer songwriter and my mother Gill always encouraged my brother (one half of The Nextmen) and I to explore our creative sides in lots of different ways.

I always loved making art and had an amazing teachers at Hills Road Sixth Form College in Cambridge where I studied art at A Level, they were keen for me to go to art school but my academic ambitions won over, and it is only in the last 5 years I have returned to any formal artistic practise. Pictured below is a very early Betmead, I must have been around 14, it’s still my favourite bridge in the world. Clare College Cambridge.

I wouldn’t have started again if it wasn’t for my wife Amelie who kept pointing to the art work in both my parents homes ‘This is really good, why did you stop and why don’t you start again?’.

I am so glad she kept pushing. It brings so much joy.

My work is born of an exploration of shapes and sequence. Of capturing the essence of what I see and feel.  I go where I feel like going in the moment, sometimes I have an idea, other times one comes as I work. I make two broad types of art: Big ‘Triptychs’ (sets of three) usually 50X65 and in double or triple density charcoal, like the ‘Orbital flow triptych’ and smaller, more intimate landscapes in pencil and watercolour, usually in A4 and predominantly landscapes.

I sell Limited Edition runs of certain prints, these will be available in the ‘Art Store’ soon, you can sign up for future sales updates below.

Sketch of a city scene with a stone bridge, a tree, and a large building with many windows and a chimney, in pencil.
Black and white abstract artwork featuring two black circles, one larger and one smaller, with the larger circle partially containing a white circle. The background is white with shading around the circles creating a sense of depth.
Abstract black and white artwork featuring three circles connected vertically, with the largest circle at the top, a smaller circle in the middle, and the smallest at the bottom, creating a yin-yang-like shape.
A black and white abstract drawing of two circles, one larger and one smaller, with the larger circle having a crescent-shaped cutout, against a light background.

“Your triptychs are just fabulous, can’t wait to receive the prints.”

Sophie P, USA

A black and white drawing of a landscape with a body of water in the foreground, rocky shoreline with fencing on the left, rolling hills with houses and trees on the left, and a large dark spherical object in the sky with radiating lines and small scattered dots around it.
A pencil drawing of a landscape with mountains, trees, and a water body reflecting the scene. The drawing features a bright orange sun in the sky, with small yellow strokes indicating sunlight, and its reflection on the water.
A detailed black and white sketch of a natural landscape featuring a body of water with rocks along the shore, a line of trees, hills, and a mountain. The sky has a large black sun or moon with radiating lines, and there are small dots and scattered marks throughout the sky.

“It’s beautiful, it captures something I couldn’t see, I love it.”

Zoe T, Greece

ABSTRACT WORK

Here is a selection of my recent abstract work, again mainly triptychs.

Some of them are available as as Limited Edition Print sets, you can buy them in the Art Store page.

I also do commissions for both abstract and more figurative work. Please contact me if you’d like to know more.

‘ORBITAL SEQUENCE’ TRIPTYCHS, 2023

This set of three, or ‘triptych’ are double density willow charcoal. 50 X 65cm on high grade 200 gm paper.

Black and white abstract art featuring three black circles of varying sizes, with one circle cut out, set against a textured white background.
A black and white abstract drawing featuring three circles aligned vertically, with the largest circle at the top, a medium circle around the middle, and the smallest at the bottom. The largest circle has a white crescent shape cut out from its lower part and the background is mostly white with some shading and texture.
Black and white abstract drawing of two circles, one larger and partially shaded, and a smaller circle, with a shaded area creating a yin-yang-like effect.

‘CENTRED, ALIGNED’ TRIPTYCHS, 2023

This set of three, or ‘triptych’ are double density willow charcoal and 6 & 8b Pencil. 50 X 65cm on high grade 200 gm paper.

Black circles with concentric outlines on white background, resembling a stylized abstract design or pattern.
Black circle with concentric white rings on white background, resembling a stylized radiation or target symbol, with a signature and date in bottom right corner.
Black circles with radiating white lines on white paper, likely a drawing or print, with the artist's signature and date in the bottom right corner.

‘BLACK SHINES’ TRIPTYCHS, 2023

This set of three, or ‘triptych’ are double density willow charcoal. 50 X 65cm on high grade 200 gm paper.

A black and white drawing of the phases of a solar eclipse with the moon partially covered by the sun, surrounded by shaded sun rays, on a white background.
A black and white drawing of a heart with a sunflower pattern around it, set against a white background.
Black circles overlapping with sunburst rays surrounding a large black circle, in a minimalist monochrome style.

‘DARKSTAR dust’, 2023

This set of three, or ‘triptych’ are double density willow charcoal. 50 X 65cm on high grade 200 gm paper.

Black semi-circle overlapping a black quarter circle on a white background. The shapes are positioned to form a stylized abstract design.
A black circle on a gray background with radiating lines or streaks emanating outward from the circle. The artist's signature appears in the bottom right corner.
A black and white drawing of a half-circle shape, with the dark side facing upward and a light side facing downward, with shading and texture. The artist's signature 'JAMES D' is in the bottom right corner.
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FIGURATIVE WORK

Here is a selection of my recent more figurative work. I explore landscapes, mainly focusing on coastal or lake scenes from my travels.

Some of them are available as as Limited Edition Print sets, you can buy them in the Art Store page.

‘ZOE’S VIEW’, PERDIKA, AEGINA, GREECE, 2023

A4 with mixed pencil.

Drawing of the view from our beautiful holiday house on the island of Aegina, hosted by the amazing Zoe.

A black and white drawing of a coastal landscape with a body of water in the foreground, a rocky shoreline with a fence on the left, and a large hill or small mountain with a house and trees on top in the background. The sky is filled with small birds flying around a large, dark, circular object at the center, which might be a celestial body or an abstract shape.

‘WALK IN THE WINTER SUN'’, PRAIA DE GALAPOS, PORTUGAL, 2023

A4 with mixed pencil.

Drawing of the view from a favourite swimming spot on a surprisingly warm November day. It features my wife Amelie, my mother in law Maj and the remarkable Harry the dog.

A black and white drawing of a landscape with mountains, trees, rocks, and a large dark circle in the sky, resembling an eclipse, with terrain waves and shading details.

‘A sense of reflection’, lake bunyonyi, UGANDA, 2022

A4 with mixed pencil and watercolour.

Drawing of the view from the jetty of an island Amelie and I stayed on in Lake Bunyonyi in Uganda, August 2022. Remarkable place.

A black and white ink drawing of a landscape with mountains, trees, a lake, and a setting or rising sun, with both the landscape and sun reflected in the water.

‘GUETHARY TOWARDS SUNSET’ GUETHARY, FRANCE 2022

A3 with mixed pencil and watercolour.

Drawing of one of Amelie and I’s favourite places, Guethary, which has some of the most spectacular sunsets of all.

A sketch of a hillside town scene with buildings, trees, and a seaside promenade, featuring a large yellow circle representing the sun, and golden dotted lines radiating from the sun across the sky and water.

‘TOWARDS COTES DES BASQUE’, BIARRITZ, FRANCE, 2024

A3 with mixed pencil (4, 6 and 8B), and charcoal pencil (4 and 6B).

This place has been an important part of my life for much of my life, but every time I return it takes my breath away, February 2024 was no different.

A black and white drawing of a rocky coastline with a building and a dome-like structure on the left, and a large black circular object in the sky emitting wavy lines and surrounded by small dots and lines, resembling an unusual celestial body or phenomenon over a body of water, signed "SNAGE" in the bottom right corner.
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