David Atkins - Different Times, Other Places

Wherever I travel in the world I take my sketch book and drawing materials with me.
Over the years I have amassed a large collection of sketches that reflect not just the places I visit but the experiences I encounter. They are like a diary that have mapped out my journeys and the things that have interested and inspired me.
My idea for this exhibition was to explore whether there was the potential to use selected sketches as a starting point for painting. I soon realised many of them were of subjects I wouldn't normally consider, including drawings of people, family, architecture and art. They seemed to reflect many of the things that made me feel alive and that I cared about in life.
I wanted to keep that excitement and joy the sketches contained and made drawings, collages and prints to help initiate potential possibilities for progressing.The resulting work has challenged my familiar methods of working and encouraged new approaches to interpreting and resolving paintings. Throughout I have wanted to keep the remembered feeling I had and combine this with the discoveries I made whilst making each of the works.
David Atkins, April 2024