Doug Lowe
The Artist
Douglas
Lowe was born on 15th October 1938 in Krugersdorp, an old gold
mining town near Johannesburg in South Africa. He describes
his father as a mine manager, a frustrated naturalist and a
water colour artist.
He lived
on a farm near Swaziland, where he developed a deep love and
understanding of the Bantu. He says that this experience has
coloured his whole approach to painting. In 1958 he painted
his first painting
Doug says:
"My
love of strong colours, bold forms and contrast stems directly
from an Africa whose people are rich in colour and diversity.
It is surely the strong bright light which demands a reaction."
Later, trying
to make his way as an artist in London, money ran out and he
worked at Foyle's Book Shop to make ends meet. He admits to
having virtually abandoned art for three decades while trying
to earn a decent living.
At around
age 24 he moved to Manchester and worked for London publishers,
Brown Watson. Shortly afterwards he met Gwen, (his future wife),
proposed after their third meeting, and they married about six
weeks later in December 1963.
They had
four children. The couple set up their own printed fabrics company
which was very successful for a time. In 1998, however, the
bottom fell out of the market and he sold the business in 1999.
Doug soon
realised that wanted to do something with his art and painted
his first painting for 30 years, a portrait of his niece. He
knew then that he was ready to begin again in earnest and did
just that.
Working
initially from photographs, then projected images, and later
into computer enhanced images, he produced a series of portraits
in a range of original styles, from the monumental, to impressionistic,
expressionistic to semi-abstract. Ultimately, he had developed
a uniquely personal and distinctive style. He describes it thus:
"My
real passion is seeing into and behind the mask of humanity".
Doug's own
website contains extensive biographical notes and his portfolio
of work. It can be found at:
http://www.artsroom.com
He can be
contacted by email at:
doug.arts@virgin.net
