Dodwell Keyt

www.ArtPal.com/keyt

I was born in a small rural town in Sri Lanka; Ceylon as it was known in those days. My parents emigrated to Australia to begin a new life and give us the chance to achieve goals we could not in my motherland; I was 13 when we left Sri Lanka.

I have been drawing ever since I can remember but my artistic career did not commence until my work was exhibited at The Perth Street Gallery for the first time in November 1987. I remember my parents sending me to an art school to learn the basics of drawing and painting, but I did not have the knowledge to use the media presented in front of me. I was too young to appreciate the gift in front of me. It was years later, as an adult, I found the joy and satisfaction of expressing myself using various media to show what was in my heart.

I paint and draw for my own pleasure and enjoyment. I use the human form to express and communicate my feelings and thoughts. More recently, I have discovered a new style of art. I begin with a blank canvas and fill it with a multitude of colours that come from within. Whatever colour comes to mind, I splash it on the canvas. The colours are an expression of the under-paint of my final painting. These base colours provide the foundation for shaping and forming the final image I have in my mind and heart.

I have expressed my love of communication through poetry and writing books. I have written and published a number of books. In my books, I have attempted to mesh my love of writing with my love of expressive creativity to produce a book that provokes and creates a philosophy of my life.

I find it difficult to categorize my work but I have used many techniques to portray my ideas and images. I have created works that range from minimalism to realism using contemporary and semi-abstract styles. The underlying theme in all my works is the presence of the human form. I strip it bare to reveal the supple curves and glorious shapes of the human form.

I have experimented with a number of media and styles and in the past settled on oils and canvas to complete most of my works. I believe in training my mind to enhance the tools God gave me by practice, practice, practice...

I have thousands of drawings and sketches of objects as mundane as a pencil to more elaborate ones of people in various poses. I have used a range of media such as watercolors, pen and ink, pastels and pencils.

Today, technology is in every nook and corner of our everyday life. I have learnt to adapt my understanding of technology to produce works of art. This is a new challenge for me and a new media of expression. I am loving the ability to use an almost infinite range and variety of colours, brushes and media without spending hundreds of dollars.

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Sketches