» Artists & Makers

ARTISTS & MAKERS OF FROME

WITH DAN MORLEY

We talk to fine artist Dan Morley about his past as a chocolatier, why realism speaks to him, and how he finally felt at home when he came to Frome.

What is your artistic background? I always dabbled around from an early age, drawing and making things. I did art GSCE which was by far my favourite lesson, and was fortunate to have a very supportive art teacher who just let me do what I wanted. It wasn’t until I turned thirty that I decided to take art more seriously and turn it into a career. I looked at doing an online degree but decided it wasn’t what I wanted to learn. I even looked at the possibility of going to the Florence Academy but that was very expensive. In the end, I settled for some books that teach academy training and went from there; learning the foundational skills and putting in lots of hours of practice. What made you follow this path? Ever since I left school, I always felt like I should be an artist, but to be honest, it’s not really a career choice that people encourage. After many years of being a hobby artist, I realised that I wouldn’t be happy in life unless I was making art as much as possible, which led me to the conclusion that I need to do it as a full-time job.

What is your physical creative process? What materials and techniques do you use? I’m mainly a painter, although I do some printmaking here and there. I pretty much just stick to oil paints. My work centres on realism techniques; I’ve always enjoyed the immediacy that people can relate to realism, you don’t need a lengthy essay to explain it. You can take it at face value and dive deeper if you prefer.

What inspires your work? I’m currently in a phase of transition in my work. It’s both exciting and a little daunting. The work I have been doing focussed on small objects, things I’d find or be given, some natural and some man-made. I’ve been doing these small paintings for some time now and have decided it’s time for a change. Currently, I’m working on outdoor scenes that are often unnoticed, things we pass every day but which wouldn’t normally be viewed as scenic or beautiful; I like doing things like that, it makes people rethink how they can see the world around them. I am currently working on a set of postcard-sized paintings, which will be exhibited at the WHY Gallery at the end of April, exploring this theme.

How did lockdown affect the way you work and create? Lockdown gave me the final nudge I needed to take the leap into doing art full time. I had a small chocolate business before, which I put on hold when the first lockdown came, mainly due to lack of ingredients. There were loads of artists on Instagram

doing the Artists’ Support Pledge, and they seemed to be doing well with it so I joined in. I did ok and then decided I wouldn’t go back to the chocolate making. It was bittersweet to say goodbye to that part of my life, but it had to be done.

Where do you work from? Tell us about your studio. I have a studio at the Silk Mill, which is a converted building full of artists and makers. It’s a great community that we have there. My studio is on the top floor. It has made a huge difference in the way I work and the ability to explore larger pieces.

What is your favourite place to be for artistic inspiration? My own head space really, I get inspired by all sorts of things. I have lots of ideas for projects that I’d like to do. Alas it really is just finding the time to realise them all!

What artists inspire you, and why? Mia Bergeron’s work inspired me into becoming a professional artist. I’m a big fan of George Shaw, mainly for his subject matter. He also won the Turner Prize which, for a realist painter, I find especially motivating. Andrew Wyeth for his subject matter and technique, his many paintings of windows and doors are just beautiful. Edward Burne Jones for his sheer body and breadth of work. There are also many artists that I follow on Instagram who inspire me daily, I never get tired of seeing the creative genius that fills up my feed. If you hadn’t become an artist, what would you have done? Well, in the real world I probably would have continued making chocolates, perhaps in another life I may have been a musician or a scientist or a vegetable grower.

How do you find the Frome area, in terms of creativity and artistic community? I love it here in Frome, I moved here 5 years ago and the whole reason I settled here was because of the artistic community. I have moved around a lot and this is the first place I finally feel at home. I’ve met so many amazing artists and makers, and it’s a privilege to be part of such a community.

Are there any artistic processes/disciplines which you haven’t worked in/with, but would like to? I’d love to explore print making more, lithography especially, and I like the idea of playing with film and sound, the idea of combining poetry and image appeals to me too. Perhaps in the future….

How can people see and buy your work? www.danielmorleyfineart.com @danielmorleyfineart You can always visit me at my studio to see work by appointment too! Just email me at info@danielmorleyfineart.com and we can talk art and drink tea.