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
