David Wiseman

My Garden Studio

I built my large wooden studio in our garden more than 30 years ago. I previously had a number of productive and happy years sharing a studio in Holborn with Graham Crowley, Vanessa Jackson and others. But when the men in suits with laser rulers came round we knew our days in the studio were numbered. The building owned by the church was to be converted to flats. So with the help of a few friends, including very fortuitously a master carpenter and an architect, I decided to build my own. Continue reading “My Garden Studio”

Garden Of Delights

In 1987 I was commissioned by Ian Simpson Architects to make a ceiling mural for the new entrance lobby at Charing Cross Hospital, Hammersmith as part of a major refurbishment of the ground floor. It took more than a year to complete and was finally installed in 1989 after I had also worked on the mural while it was up on the ceiling. Continue reading “Garden Of Delights”

Abstracting From The Landscape

My article appeared recently in the August issue of The Artist magazine. This is the first time I have been asked to write such an article and I was concerned about how my text would be edited etc. But they did this very well and I am very pleased with the way it looks. Continue reading “Abstracting From The Landscape”

Juliette Losq & David Wiseman

This interview originally appeared in the London Group Newsletter.

JL – We share in common a childhood in Essex (with parents moving out from London). Do you think that growing up in this semi-rural / suburban environment has influenced your work, or experiences as an artist in general?

DW – I was brought up on one of the first sprawling council estates to be built in Essex, in the also newly built Basildon New Town. But we were surrounded by countryside and spent all our free time as kids outside, summer and winter. I remember there were special mysterious woodland places, special trees and streams that you grew up with so I suppose this may have had an influence. Continue reading “Juliette Losq & David Wiseman”

Paul Nash & Swanage

For one of my 65th birthday presents recently I received a superb little book, now something of a collectors piece, called Seaside Surrealism: Paul Nash in Swanage by Pennie Denton. Continue reading “Paul Nash & Swanage”

Maybe It’s Because I’m A Londoner

Having lived in London for over 40 years and coming from generations of dockland EastEnders I felt well qualified to respond to the brief for a new exhibition by the London Group, On London. Continue reading “Maybe It’s Because I’m A Londoner”

The London Group

I was delighted this week to have been elected to The London Group, one of the oldest standing artist led organizations in the world and this year celebrating its 100th anniversary. The present membership is around 90 and new members are elected only after being proposed by an existing member and presenting their current work and previous artistic achievement to a committee. Continue reading “The London Group”

Notes From St Ives

Just a few notes and pictures after a wonderful trip to St Ives. I was down to exhibit again with the National Acrylic Painters Association who were showing in the famous Crypt Gallery which in the 1940s was the venue of exhibitions by the Crypt group when St Ives was at the cutting edge of British painting and sculpture. Continue reading “Notes From St Ives”

Running & Painting

Running and painting surprisingly have much in common, the main similarity being that they are both totally engrossing activities. Both are an integral part of my life where withdrawal symptoms occur if stopped for any length of time. They both allow me to lose myself in the struggle and sheer pleasure of the activity and forget any other pressing problems. Continue reading “Running & Painting”

A Sense Of Scale

In the past I have made a number of very large scale public artworks including a ceiling mural at Charing Cross Hospital which was 10 x 6 metres and a mural for the special care baby unit at Frimley Hospital which was 10 x 2 metres. Continue reading “A Sense Of Scale”