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FREQUENTLY
ASKED QUESTIONS
IDEAS
& SUBJECT MATTER:
Where
does David get his ideas?
This
is always a difficult question to answer. The best ideas
always spring from sources unknown. But certainly ones
milieu and interests play a part. David is an avid film
and theater goer. (His favorite contemporary playwrights
are Tom Stoppard and Harold Pinter.) He also loves
Shakespeare and attends the Ashland Shakespeare Festival
every year. He listens to music while he paints (from
Mozart to Gershwin to Randy Newman) and he is an avid
reader (favorite authors include Samuel Beckett, John
Cheever, Edith Wharton, and Alan Bennett.) These
influences often find their way into his paintings.
Typically, he hears a phrase in a play or a passage of
music and feels compelled to translate the idea into a
visual form. But, his creative process is very organic
and often his finished paintings are quite different
from his original conceptions.
Why
does he use so many "animal" characters in his
picture books?
David
paints anthropomorphized animals to suggest human
characteristics. An animal can be a great form of
shorthand for personality types. When we say that
someone moves like a cat or acts like a weasel, others
understand us perfectly. While his picture books are
enjoyed by children, they are actually written for
adults. David believes that the best children's stories
are meaningful at any age, and numbers among his
personal favorites Alice In Wonderland, Peter
Pan and Wind In The Willows.
WORKING
METHODS:
How
long does it take David to complete a painting?
This
continues to be the most common question David is asked
at signings. But the answer depends upon when one
decides a painting begins. Is it when the idea begins to
take shape or when the brush first meets the canvas?
Some ideas arrive suddenly while others percolate for
weeks, months, or even years. When they finally arrive
fully formed, the actual painting is achieved remarkably
quickly. While a typical painting might be completed in
a week, some of his finest work has been completed in
less than a day.
What
mediums does he use?
In
his early years, David painted in gouache (an opaque
water-based medium) but he discovered that acrylics
offered more luminosity, resulting in higher quality
reproductions. Today he also works with oil paints which
provide more texture and depth than acrylics. Oils also
slow him down, keeping him more aware of the painting
process. Most often he uses both, using acrylic for
underpainting and oil for detailing, and he sometimes
adds other mediums such as colored pencil or oil pastels.
He's very flexible, allowing the painting to dictate the
medium. The one medium he never uses is the computer.
Does
he use models?
Models
are essential to David's work as he prefers artificial
light for its dramatic theatrical properties, and often
requires unusual poses. He finds almost all of his
models on the street or working in local shops and
restaurants. (The model for his Cinderella book, for
instance, was a waitress from the local Cup and Saucer
Cafe.)
INFLUENCES:
Which
artists have influenced David's work?
David
admires some artists for technique and others for
imagery. He likes the technique of Parrish and Sargeant,
for example, and the imagery of De Chirico and Seurat.
He admires Edward Hopper on both levels. He also enjoys
the Medieval school of painting for its tableaus and
stylization.
Any
other influences?
Film,
theater, and music each influence David's work, though
it's impossible to say exactly how. Whie we were
attending an opening in Bethesda, a Mensa member
casually noted, "I can see David listens to a lot
of Mozart." When I asked him why he thought this,
he shrugged his shoulders, and answered, "It's
obvious from looking at the work." It wasn't
obvious to me (even though I know that David often
listens to Mozart while painting.) But that's part of
the mystery and joy of art. Each of us looks at a
painting and sees something different.
PERSONAL
BACKGROUND:
How
long has David Delamare been painting?
All
his life. Even as a child he was busy drawing, painting,
and writing stories. He was (and is) strongly encouraged
by his mother. Una lives just a few blocks away and is
still his greatest fan. She keeps a scrapbook of his
work, bakes cookies for local gallery openings, and not
infrequently drops by with a roast beef sandwich or
chicken pot pie. David knew from a very early age that
he wanted to be an artist, and has always earned his
living through art. In his early years he set up a
business painting signs and he occasionally taught art,
but he is proud of the fact that he has never had a
"real" job.
Can
you tell me something about his personal life?
David
was born in Leicester, UK but has spent most of his life
in Portland, Oregon where he enjoys the cloudy weather.
Though he likes to travel, he has never driven a car. He
sleeps late and works deep into the night. When he's not
attending films, plays, or concerts he can usually be
found at home or strolling in Portland's Hawthorne
District. He's a bit reclusive and rarely makes public
appearances, so if you have an opportunity to see him at
a book signing or gallery opening, don't miss it.
BUSINESS
MATTERS:
Does
David accept commercial work or commissions?
Almost
never. Commissions impose a structure that tends to
interfere with his fluid creative process. Therefore,
his best paintings tend to be those over which he has
complete creative control. He agreed to illustrate a
book written by Carly Simon, when she requested it. But
he has refused dozens of similar requests (including
many from celebrities.)
How
expensive are his original paintings?
David's
paintings are still surprisingly affordable (generally
starting at about $2000) but they are very collectable
so it's difficult to predict future prices, If
interested, contact me at delamare@teleport.com
for availability and prices.
YOUR
QUESTIONS:
If
you have further questions, e-mail them to me at delamare@teleport.com.
I'll do my best to answer each and, if appropriate, I'll
add your question to this page.
Best
Wishes,
Wendy
Ice, President (Bad Monkey Productions)
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