British artist Clive Duff Gordon portrays the passion of the musicians and dancers who inspire him. To see more of his artwork, visit his website.
“Cool Blues” Acrylic on Canvas, 20″ x 16”
During 2102, my lifelong love affair with the performing arts created one of life’s rare Eureka moments. I had been searching hard for a new focus for my artistic journey and an opportunity to further explore light, shade and create greater depth and mood in my work.
“Hot Shoes” Acrylic on Canvas, 10″ x 10”
Whether it’s basking in the glow of a great performance, capturing the intensity of a musician at work, or the sheer beauty of the human form expressed through dance, I had stumbled into an inexhaustible source of inspiration.
“Hiromi On Fire” Acrylic on Canvas, 32″ x 32”
It has provided me with the impetus to refine my painting technique, whilst delving deeper into the mysteries and complexities of these wonderful art forms which enabled me to better express myself through my art. It has been a perfect match for me; indeed, one almost made in heaven.
“Shadow Moves” Acrylic on Canvas, 32″ x 32”
My solo exhibition, “Footlights 2014” was a resounding success, attracting visitors from far and wide. It provided me with invaluable exposure for my work and the opportunity to meet face to face and fully engage with art lovers. I gained renewed confidence to continue to develop my art with the resulting inspiration driving me to new pastures. This included access to The Royal Ballet and permission to paint some of their wonderful dancers.
“Itzhak” Acrylic on Canvas, 23” x 18”
Painting exclusively in acrylic on stretched canvas, I continue to refine and perfect the subtleties of layering to achieve my goals in light and shade. It is made all the more possible by this wonderfully flexible medium. This has become a never-ending journey of discovery and refinement for me.
“En Pointe” Acrylic on Canvas, 32″ x 32”
As my painting technique develops, I simply move the goal posts and reset my objectives. To better illustrate this journey, I post videos on my Facebook page that show my technique along with my journey from rough pencil sketch to finished piece.
“Glissando” Acrylic on Canvas, 48″ x 36”
I had originally passed up the opportunity to study fine art when I was much younger, to focus instead on a career in graphic design. My artistic journey really started in earnest eleven years ago with what at first was simply a mildly interesting experiment, to see if I could pick up the pieces left over from my youthful false dawn as an artist.
“Gracieux” Acrylic on Canvas, 48″ x 36”
What actually transpired was nothing short of a life-changing experience for me. I dusted down my long dormant artistic skills and to my surprise, found then to be still in reasonable working order. Then thanks to the considerable guidance and encouragement from two very inspiring tutors (special thanks here to Una Baker and Sue Gray), I managed to pick up the pieces and run with it for all I was worth! This culminated in 2010 when I decided to take the plunge and paint professionally full-time.
Artist Clive Duff Gordon at an exhibition.
This only goes to show that it’s never too late to start over. All you need is a little courage to follow your dreams and then grab those opportunities that will inevitably come your way.
Artist Clive Duff Gordon invites you to follow him on Facebook.
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