Artist and photographer Peter Lovelock talks about what inspires him
Artist and photographer Peter Lovelock talks to Steve Newman about the inspiration for his work.
TO find beauty in nature is not difficult to do. To find a facet of it that encapsulates your feelings, then capture it for others to see, is not quite so easy to achieve. But this is something that artist Peter Lovelock has managed to do in a variety of mediums.
His two main areas of fine art are hand-drawn ink images (some handembellished with gold leaf, aluminium leaf, copper leaf, pastels or watercolour) and photography. So can a connection be made with someone looking at or buying his work?
“Yes, nature is one of those things that connects everybody. My work is an emotional response to the natural world and I’m attempting to share with you, the viewer – not just what I am seeing but also what I am feeling at that exact moment.
“It’s important to see, not just look. Trees, plants, organic shapes, landscapes, seascapes, natural structures and rock strata are all an inspiration to me.”
Peter can find himself working for hours or even days on a single drawing created with a stippling drawing technique, slowly building up shapes, detail, textures and structure until there is a feeling of completeness.
His career started with training to be a physical education teacher, leading on to a professional life that involved work in a variety of roles, including residential care for young people, youth work, teaching and community education plus living in, teaching and managing a yoga centre for two and half years plus time in India.
“My time in India aided my understanding of eastern philosophy, nature and our place within it. I have always been intrigued by the knowledge and ceremonies of indigenous peoples and their connection with the earth and the wider universe.”
Yet strangely enough, it was the stark beauty and isolation of the west coast of Scotland that sparked his emotions and had a dramatic impact on him.
“It was the initial impetus for starting to use drawing and photography to capture what I was feeling and seeing. That experience in my twenties sparked my emotions and has continued to be a major influence in my work.
“It’s not all glamour, of course – there’s the neverending artist’s quest for searching out and experimenting with materials and putting aside time in the evening for administration/office work, etc.
“I even sustained a neck injury last spring! I spent so many hours looking up at trees, day after day, taking photographs and filming that I needed several sessions with my physiotherapist to repair the damage – a pain in the neck for sure!
“I never forget that I’m extremely lucky to spend a lot of my time exploring beautiful areas of coast and countryside looking for inspiration.
“On one hand my work is a response to the natural world. On the other, I enjoy and am able to record modern life in all its guises – people, places and events.” n