Oundle
Oundle shown in all its glory
Simon Dolby
Local artist Simon Dolby is well known for his beautiful Oundle paintings, Mary meets him
Simon Dolby
SIMON DOLBY FROM the Dolby Gallery in West Street studied at The Ruskin School of Art in Cambridge. He became an illustrator after leaving art school working for different design agencies in Cambridge and then London. As a commercial artist he was earning a good living ‘but I didn’t really fit in with the ad agency world,’ he says. Simon had met his wife Gillian at art school and when they decided it was time to leave London, they headed for Peterborough. Simon then branched into illustration work for architects as well as doing book covers and all that a commercial illustrator would do. The couple decided to move on from Peterborough and settled in Oundle. ‘It’s a beautiful place and I had the chance to rent a studio and buy a house,’ says Simon. He was now working on brochures for a local building company as well as other freelance work, but his main love had always been painting. With a young family to feed, commercial work had to come first. Then the doctor’s surgery in West Street came on the market, which was plenty big enough to live in with their three children and have a large studio. It was full of character but needed lots of renovations to change it from a doctor’s surgery to a house and workplace; it was a great project though. Simon and illian decided to turn the front two rooms, formally the waiting rooms, into an art gallery. It became the perfect venue for exhibiting Simon’s work as well as many other artists. There have been many successful exhibitions over the years, with some great private views! As well as the gallery Simon and Gillian have a picture framing business.
Throughout the years Simon had always been painting and has taken on many commissions. He now does less commercial work and concentrates more on painting the wonderful countryside and buildings. He is particularly well known for his paintings of Oundle. ‘I love the town, and feel very fortunate to be able to paint my beautiful surroundings.’ Simon has sold his work to many customers in this country and abroad. The main painting on this page is a particularly interesting commission and shows Simon’s technical ability as well as his artistic skills. Many of you will recognise the buildings in the painting - it is a Capriccio (a mixture of real and imaginary features) of the owner’s house with these iconic buildings in a eorgian setting, an unusual but clever concept. Simon’s paintings and prints are available at the gallery or online. www.dolby-gallery.com
October 2021 / theactivemag.com
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