Hon. Oliver Ian Akers-Douglas was born on 13 October 1973, the
son of Alastair George
Akers-Douglas, 4th Viscount Chilston and Juliet Anne Lovett.
A former journalsit, he is now an artist.
Oliver Akers Douglas is best known for his dramatic
interpretations of the English landscape - once described by
critic Matthew Dennison as "the foremost landscape painter of
his generation".
Oliver insists on working from life. By
using a Land Rover with a large easel welded to the side, Oliver
is able to tackle ambitious compositions exclusively in the
field. It is not necessary to 'work up' pictures from reference
material in the studio. His pictures vividly convey his
experience of being on the spot, acting as material records of
his interaction with the elements, of the changing weather and
light. Much of his work depicts the distinctive chalk down land
near to his home in South Wiltshire - its steep-sided valleys
and billowing cloudscapes but Oliver's paintings are more than
mere depiction. The business of looking and responding to the
landscape is conducted in a highly-charged atmosphere. The paint
is deployed rapidly in bold strokes, creating an uplifting sense
of immediacy. Using a selection of palette knives and brushes,
his mark-making is distinctively his, the surfaces of his
pictures being themselves textured landscapes of pure pigment.
Beyond the active process of manipulating paint, there is also a
serious concern with the formal aspects of picture construction
- a fully-engaged attempt to resolve three dimensional
experience in two dimensional terms.
Oliver began
painting from an early age and was a successful artist at
school. Apart from a Foundation course at Camberwell, Oliver is
largely self taught. He graduated in 1997 from Edinburgh
University with a First Class degree in English Literature,
initially working as a journalist and writer before turning to
his vocation in 2000. Oliver has been commissioned as a
portraitist, but when the weather allows, the landscape is his
focus. The winter months are typically given over to still life
work and figure studies. His work is found in various English
and international collections. He lives in Wiltshire with his
young family.
He married Camilla E. H. Edwards, in 2005. They have three
children, Ivo, b. 2007, Alice, b. 2009 and Arthur, b. 2012.
See also:
Video of Oliver at work
Any contributions will be
gratefully accepted
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